


Traces

by AmandaBaker852



Category: Almost Human (TV)
Genre: Crime Fighting, Developing Relationship, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:33:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 37,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27163226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmandaBaker852/pseuds/AmandaBaker852
Summary: It has been said that no one can fully escape from their past. Detective Kennex discovers that applies to everyone. Kennex/OC.
Relationships: John Kennex/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a disclaimer that Almost Human belongs to Fox, not myself. No copyright infringement is intended with this work.   
> Thanks to my beta reader lawsomeantics38 for improving this story.

Chapter One

One month after ‘Straw Man’

“Why do you always eat noodles, John?” asked Dorian at they sat at Kennex’s favourite noodle joint in the Koln Avenue District one evening.

“I don’t always eat noodles but I do like them,” mused Kennex as he chewed on a fresh batch of noodles. Before his partner could tell him the exact percentage of times he eat noodles, his phone rang. 

“Kennex,” he replied after swallowing his mouthful of food.

“Homicide at Richardson Avenue and 39th Street,” the dispassionate voice of dispatch informed him.

“Show us responding,” Kennex replied. He hung up then turned toward Dorian. The two quickly got back in his car and drove to the scene. 

They soon pulled up in front of a large grey warehouse. In his experience as a cop, warehouses seldom held anything benign. That was the case here as he and Dorian soon found out. The interior of the warehouse had black walls and floors with several tables full of computers and other tech. There were racks with more tech along every wall. In front of them a man in his late sixties lay dead on his back. One of the MX’s on the scene handed Dorian electronic paper that contained the case file.

“The victim has been ID as Richard Williamson, the founder of Williamson Technologies. He was shot twice at point blank range in the chest and head with a semi automatic rifle,” Dorian informed him. Kennex put on his gloves and crouched beside the body to look closer.

“Any DNA or fingerprints?” he asked as he examined the clothes of Williamson.

“They used a DNA Bomb so forensics will be contaminated. But we do have the shells and gunpowder from the rifle,” noted Dorian as he examined that evidence.

“What did Williamson Technologies produce?” Kennex wondered.

“Detective Kennex, I have identified face makers, retina scanners, security cameras, and tag scramblers as the technology in this facility,” a MX informed him.

“Did Williamson have any family?” Kennex asked Dorian as he stood. His partner’s face flashed blue as he retrieved the files.

“His younger brother, Thomas Williamson, died three years ago. His older sister, Amelia Kozlov, lives in the City. His ex-wife Cynthia Williamson died four years ago. His daughter, Sarah Williamson, moved to New York City and changed her name to Ava White after her mother’s death. She has not responded to any communication from her father since then. John, that’s not all,” Dorian told him. Dorian paused and then projected two images of different women using the camera in his eye. Kennex moved closer and saw two different driver’s licences. The woman on the left was blonde and blue eyed with a long nose, thin mouth, and a rounded chin. The woman on the right was a brunette with brown eyes. She had a shorter nose, thicker mouth, and a diamond shaped chin. In fact, the entire face and neck of the two women were different, he now realized as he looked closely.

“The woman on the left is Sarah Williamson while the woman on the right is Ava White,” Dorian explained.

“That plastic surgery must have been expensive. There’s minimal scarring,” Kennex noted.

“Yes. Perhaps we should visit Sarah and ask why she felt the need for such a change to her appearance and name,” Dorian stated as the images disappeared and his eye returned to normal.

“Yeah, and we should also ask her why she cut ties with her father. You got an address for Ava White?” asked Kennex as they turned and left the crime scene.

“Miss White lives at 137 Oak Road,” Dorian replied. 

“What does Ava do for a living?” Kennex wondered as he drove.

“Ava teaches pre-Wall American history at City University,” Dorian informed him. Ava was probably very smart, thought Kennex. Places at universities for both students and faculty were fiercely competitive.

“Dorian, this is Stahl. Rudy is working on the computer found in the warehouse but the files were triple encrypted behind a firewall so it will take some time to reconstruct who the customers of Williamson Technologies were. I’ve gone into bank records and been able to find out that Williamson Technologies was doing very well. There are two bank accounts, one personal under Richard’s name and another business account. There were both small and large deposits of cash and bitcoin from various bank accounts to the business account, some of which I haven’t been able to trace yet. So while some of his business may have been legitimate, it’s a safe bet to assume that some of the tech was also sold on the black market,” Stahl informed them via a phone call in the car.

“What about the bank account of Ava White?” asked Dorian.

“One moment. Ava’s been earning a good living teaching but she wasn’t living as lavishly as her father was. Have you been able to determine why there has been no communication between them since shortly after her mother’s death?” Stahl replied.

“No, but we’re about ten minutes out from her house. I noticed the warehouse had a biolock. Have you been able to figure out who had access to the building?” Kennex wanted to know.

“Williamson only had three employees: a driver, Aaron Simmons, and two technicians, Charles King and Sam Davis. The exterior security cameras were shot and destroyed by the perps before they entered the warehouse so we can’t use facial recognition. The perps used the thumbprint of Simmons to gain access to the building. Two hours ago, the body of Aaron Simmons without his thumb was found murdered in the 18th District. The investigating officer in that case is Detective Dalia Caro,” Stahl informed them.

“Thanks. We’ll keep you updated,” Kennex responded. Dorian ended the call a moment later.

“Aren’t you going to call Detective Caro and tell her you have information relevant to her case?” Dorian wondered.

“She’s not going to want to talk to me. But you should call Detective Caro and tell her about this case,” Kennex admitted.

“So what’s the past history between the two of you?” Dorian wondered.

“Don’t you understand the meaning of privacy?” Kennex inquired. He’d never met anyone else as nosy as Dorian was.

“John, this is police business. Now spill,” Dorian pressed. Kennex glared at him.

“Do me a favour and update your colloquial program to exclude pre-Wall slang,” Kennex requested. He sighed and paused to consider his words before he resumed speaking.

“Dalia- Detective Caro- and I dated for a year when I was a sergeant. Our relationship ended badly,” Kennex told him.

“Speaking of women, you might want to ask Ava White out on a date after this case is over. Though that ultimately depends on whether she killed her father,” Dorian stated.

“Why would you suggest that?” wondered Kennex as they entered Ava’s yard through the gate in the green fence. The exterior of the green one-storey bungalow in front of them looked to be well maintained. Two small flower beds were in bloom on either side of the veranda and the small front lawn looked recently mowed.

“Ava responded to your online dating profile two days ago. I wasn’t planning on mentioning it at first given your bad date with Samantha, but I thought you might want to try dating again,” Dorian replied.

“Let’s find out who killed Richard Williamson first,” snapped Kennex.

“John,” said Dorian sharply before Kennex could ring the doorbell. Dorian walked over to a small glass table on the veranda where there was a vid chip and a tablet that lay on top of the table. Once Kennex had stopped beside him Dorian inserted the vid chip into the tablet and pressed play. A movement later the interior of a dark room showed a woman gagged and tied at her wrists and ankles to a chair. A gloved hand grabbed her brown hair and tipped back her head to better face the camera. The wide brown eyes of Ava White looked back at them.

“Hello, Amelia. I want you to deposit 900 thousand bitcoin into the business account of Williamson Technologies or Ava here meets the same fate as her father. If you follow my instructions, you’ll see your niece alive again,” instructed a deep male voice. The video abruptly ended. Kennex shared a concerned look with Dorian. The sooner they found Ava the better, he thought.

“Do you have an address for Amelia?” he asked Dorian. His partner nodded.

“Amelia Kozlov lives at 47 Kelvin Way.” he told Kennex.

“Let’s go talk to her. You should also have a team of MXs sent here to see if they can find any evidence of the kidnapping,” Kennex said. Dorian nodded.

The women in her early seventies who answered the front door of the apartment held the collar of one of the largest grey dogs Kennex had ever seen.

“Patrick, stay. Can I help you?” she asked.

“I’m Detective Kennex and this is Dorian. Are you Amelia Kozlov?” Kennex asked as he showed her his badge. She moved aside to allow them into the apartment.

“Yes. Come in. You’ll have to excuse Patrick here. He’s Ava’s dog and so I don’t normally take care of him. She was supported to pick him up from the vet during her lunch hour today. But when they called me in the afternoon to say that she’d never arrived, I knew something was wrong. Ava is almost always on time,” Amelia explained.

“May I see your phone?” Dorian asked. Amelia let go of Patrick to give him her phone. Patrick approached Kennex. He hesitantly held out a hand which was subsequently sniffed by the dog. 

“The vet called you at 12:46 PM today. Your last call to Ava was at 6:47 PM last night. What did you talk about?” Dorian wanted to know.

“Just mundane things, like what play she wanted to see and what book she was reading. What’s happened to her?” Amelia replied. Kennex showed her the video on the tablet. Afterwards Amelia closed her eyes briefly and hung her head.

“I don’t have that amount of bitcoin detective. What am I going to do? I can’t lose Ava,” she declared haltingly.

“We’ll do everything we can to find her, Mrs Kozlov. Do you know if your niece had any enemies or any debts? Were there any changes to her routine lately?” Kennex asked.

“The only thing new in her life was Ava agreeing to be a bridesmaid for her friend, Heather. Ava’s always been frugal with her money so I can’t imagine her running up debts. As for enemies Ava got along with everyone as far as I knew. There was nothing that…,” abruptly Amelia trailed off.

“You remembered something just now. What was it?” Dorian asked.

“Maybe she was right,” Amelia replied.

“What was Ava right about?” Kennex demanded.

“When her mother Cynthia died four years ago, Ava was made executor of her will. She must have seen something unusual in her mother’s bank accounts and confronted Richard about that. That would explain why she moved away to New York City a week after the funeral. When she contacted me again a month later, the only thing I recognized about her was her voice. When Ava explained why she’d moved, changed her name, and had extensive plastic surgery, I thought that she was running from her problems rather then facing them. My niece can procrastinate for a long time if she doesn’t want to face something,” Amelia explained.

“What did Ava fight about with Richard?” 

“She told me she suspected that he was doing business with criminals. But apparently he had warned her to keep quiet about it or there would be consequences. Ava was afraid that he might put her under some form of surveillance to make sure that she didn’t go to the police. That’s why she went to such extraordinary lengths to change her life, detective. She figured that if she lived her own life apart from her father, he might leave her alone.” Amelia told them.

“Order the MXs to do a sweep of Ava’s home for listening devices Dorian,” Kennex ordered. Dorian’s face flashed blue for a moment and then he nodded.

“How did Richard react to Ava distancing herself from him?” 

“When he first found out he was distraught. He told me that he was phoning her regularly but that she wasn’t answering her phone. When the reality of their estrangement became clear to him I think it rendered him numb. I always told him that he should continue to make an effort to reconcile with her. But Richard insisted that Ava be the one to come to him first. Ava didn’t want to do that. Both of them were too stubborn to back down,” Amelia recounted.

“Mrs Kozlov, if there’s anything further about Ava you can think of, please contact us,” Dorian replied. Amelia nodded. Kennex and his partner left the apartment and headed to the precinct. 

“I’ll phone Detective Caro now, shall I?” wondered Dorian in the car. Kennex nodded.

“Caro. Who is this?” came the voice of his ex-girlfriend.

“I’m Dorian, Detective Kennex’s partner. We’re investigating the death of Richard Williamson,” Dorian explained.

“Please send your case file to my MX, number 491. I presume you want me to help you out with this case?” Caro replied.

“Yes. Williamson’s daughter has been kidnapped so time is of the essence,” Dorian stated.

“I understand. I’ll check in with Captain Anderson and Captain Maldonado so they are aware of the situation. I’ll meet you at the precinct. Kennex, try not to shoot my MX,” Caro responded.

“You heard about that, huh?” Kennex asked.

“The whole police department heard about that incident. Though I can’t say I was surprised. You’ve never been fond of androids. I’ll talk to you both soon. Goodbye,” Caro concluded.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Kennex hadn’t been to the precinct for the 18th District since shortly before Caro had ended her relationship with him. He knew she’d faced some discrimination amongst other officers given her parents were Mexican immigrants. Perhaps that’s why she’d always been so driven, he thought as he approached the desks. He saw Caro quickly. Her hair and skin were brown and her muscles were still well honed by the long runs he knew she enjoyed. Except for more lines on her face and hands, Caro seemed not to have aged in the years since they had last spoken. He cleared his throat as he and Dorian walked closer to her.

“Hello Detective Caro. This is Dorian,” he said. She turned to face them and nodded.

“Hello Detective Kennex. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dorian. Did you really flip over a car while trying to apprehend a suspect?” she wondered.

“Yes I did,” Dorian stated.

“That’s impressive. I’ve always liked the DRNs, but I can understand why they were pulled from service.”

“Speaking of things ending, why did you break up with John?” Dorian asked to Kennex’s chagrin.

“Because Kennex was more concerned about being made a detective then spending time with me,” Caro stated as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“That’s not fair,” Kennex protested. She raised both eyebrows.

“Kennex, you came over to my place for two reasons and neither of them were conversation. Speaking of conversation, what did you make of your interview with White’s aunt?” she rapidly changed the subject to the case.

“She seemed quite concerned about her niece. We’re looking into whether Ava’s father really did business on the black market, but both of us know those transactions can take some digging to find,” Kennex replied. He was glad to talk about less personal topics.

“I know. So for the time being we should focus on tracking the location of the tablet you found at White’s house. Unless you have any other ideas, Dorian?”

“No. The MXs are searching Ava’s house now, but the full results will take some time. I’ll call Rudy and see if he can help us,” Dorian said. His face lit up in blue as he made a phone call.

“In the meantime, let’s go and have a conversation with White’s friend, Heather. You wanna drive, Kennex?” Caro suggested. He nodded. The three of them along with Caro’s MX headed out to the car. It didn’t take them long to find the fine arts building on the campus of City University. A quick glance at the directory inside the main doors established that there was a Instructor Heather Watts with an office on the 7th floor. Dorian was the one to knock on her door.

“Come in,” came a slightly distracted female voice. The four of them quickly entered the room. Caro closed the door behind them.

“What can I do for you?” the woman behind the desk asked as she tapped on the right side of her glasses which shrunk the digital image in front of her. The screen had appeared to display text documents, Kennex thought.

“Are you Heather Watts?” Caro asked the short and curvy blonde-haired woman behind the desk.

“Yes I am. Welcome to my office,” Heather gestured to take in the room. The two walls on either side of the desk had many different images and pictures displayed, all of various colours and sizes. The window behind her desk was large and let in a great deal of the afternoon sunlight. Heather had one black chair in front of her large glass desk while she sat in a leather chair.

“I’m Detective Kennex, this is Detective Caro, and this is Dorian. When was the last time you spoke with Ava White?” Kennex asked as he showed her his badge and the others did the same. Heather sat up straighter in her chair.

“Ava and I went out for dinner two nights ago at that new Thai place on Green Street.”

“Are you referring to the restaurant known as The Thai Palace?” asked Caro’s MX.

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“What was your conversation about?” Dorian wanted to know.

“It was mostly about wedding planning. You know, which flowers to pick for my colour scheme, the final list of what we need to rent for the venue, what to do about last minute guests and so on.”

“Surely that didn’t take up the entire meal,” Kennex said.

“No. As I recall, we also talked a little about an upcoming multimedia exhibition I’m going to be a part of after my honeymoon, and Ava mentioned how she had a meeting with an editor for the new textbook she’d been working on next week. The university press is eager to have it published as an electronic book but it won’t be ready until the winter semester. Why is this important?”

“We can’t divulge that at this time. Did Ava ever mention her father to you?” Caro inquired. Heather frowned deeply.

“She only talked about her family once when we went out for a drink to celebrate me selling a sculpture. We’d only known each other about a week at that point. I asked what her family thought of her moving to the City. She told me the only family she had left was her aunt. When I asked about her parents, Ava said that her mother was dead and her father was as good as. I could have pressed her for more details, but I could tell the subject made her uncomfortable so I dropped it. We never talked about her family again. Did something happen to her father? Is that why you are asking all these questions?”

“Richard Williamson was found dead earlier today,” Caro told her. Heather sighed.

“I’m sorry to hear that. How did Ava take the news?”

“We haven’t been able to locate Miss White as yet,” Kennex said. Heather closed her eyes as she sank back into her chair. She was silent for a long moment before she opened her eyes and leaned forward to look at Kennex.

“Then what are you doing here talking to me, detective? I know you can’t solve every crime in this city, but surely a kidnapper would have left enough clues for you to follow. Though what anyone could want with Ava I have no idea. Now if that’s all I need to get back to marking these essays,” Heather concluded.

“If you can think of anything else, Miss Watts, let us know,” Dorian said in conclusion. She nodded and waved them out. Once the door had closed behind her, Caro turned to look at Kennex.

“Kennex, you should have kept your mouth shut about White. Clearly Watts doesn’t trust the police and already suspects we will find her friend dead.”

“Given the statistical likelihood of the police finding kidnap victims alive, that is not an entirely illogical assumption on the part of Miss Watts,” Caro’s MX said. 

“I know that. Didn’t I tell you before to stop quoting me any kind of statistics? Dorian, what did you think about Watts?” Caro asked.

“She seemed cooperative and genuinely distressed at the news about her friend. As for her antagonism towards John, I suspect it was not him personally that she objected to. I’ve accessed police files and found that Olivia, Miss Watts’s mother, was killed by a drunk driver three years ago. He also died in the incident and so no one was charged. Perhaps that lack of justice, as Miss Watts perceives it, is what she is afraid will happen again with the fate of Miss White,” Dorian replied.

“Not as long as I’m on this case,” Kennex quietly stated to himself. Any further thoughts came to a halt when Caro’s phone rang.

“Clear,” declared Kennex a short time later as he checked out another room in this warehouse. Rudy had tracked the location of the tablet they’d found at Ava’s house here to the Ironworks District, but so far this building was empty. 

“Clear,” declared Dorian in another room.

“Dorian, you said there were no heat signatures in this building. So what is here?” wondered Caro as they went down some stairs and then through a door. The three of them entered a cavernous room. There was a large screen against the far wall and a chair in the middle with a table that held a computer on the right side. Dorian scanned the chair.

“There’s hair and DNA on the chair.” Dorian said. He placed a finger on the chair and then his face flashed blue for a moment. 

“John, the DNA matches the medical records of Ava White,” he continued.

“So Ava was here but she’s been moved,” Kennex realized.

“How did they know that we were coming?” Caro asked.

“I believe I can answer that question, Detective Caro,” replied one of the MXs. He pressed a button on the edge of the screen which lit up to show an aerial view of different districts of the City. Kennex titled his head slightly.

“How did the kidnappers acquire that many drones given that all private drones are regulated and expensive?” Kennex wondered.

“I’ll look into drone companies in the City and see who bought this many recently,” Dorian replied.

“Detective Kennex,” said another one of the MXs as he held out a tablet to Kennex. Kennex waited until Dorian and Caro were beside him before he turned the tablet on. Like last time the video showed Ava White in a dark room. But this time the message was different.

“Hello cops. You have eight hours to find Ava alive or she dies. The clock’s ticking,” the same male voice taunted them. The video abruptly ended.

“Let’s take this to Rudy along with that computer,” Kennex decided.

“Good afternoon, Detective Caro. I have listened to the recordings you requested. Mrs Kozlov was correct that Mr Williamson had a black market client base,” Caro’s MX informed them once they returned to the precinct. So the police search of Ava’s home had found listening devices at her place, Kennex thought.

“Playback the last recording that was found at Miss White’s house,” Caro requested. The MX nodded then his voice changed to mimic the voices in the recording.

“Who are you? What do you want?” came the surprised voice of Miss White.

“You are going to come with us. But first throw your phone on the floor,” the same male voice they had heard on the recording demanded. There was a clatter as Ava’s phone hit the floor.

“Good. Now come with us and you won’t be harmed,” the male voice continued.

“How can she be assured of that? Kidnapping victims don’t often survive,” Dorian noted quietly.

“Come with us now, or you’ll meet the same fate as your father,” the male voice insisted. A sharp inhale was Ava’s initial response.

“I haven’t had a father in years. But I can hardly fight all four of you.” Miss White concluded. The recording ended a few seconds later.

“That would explain why there was no signs of a struggle in Miss White’s home,” Dorian noted.

“Yes. But four kidnappers suggests that this is some kind of gang. However as far as we know, Miss White doesn’t have any links to criminal activity,” remarked Kennex. Before anyone could respond his phone rang.

“Kennex,” he answered.

“Rudy here. Sorry it took so long but this newest tablet was locked up tighter then Fort Knox,” Rudy informed him.

“What is Fort Knox?” asked Kennex.

“It was an old safe. Never mind. I’ve been able to trace the location signal of this tablet to Pier 4 in the Defence District. Though if last time is any indication, they’ll know you’re coming,” Rudy said.

“Great. Thanks Rudy,” Kennex declared. He hung up then turned to Captain Maldonado who stood nearby.

“I need a full team to go into Pier 4 and a drone over the site. They won’t be escaping this time,” he promised. His boss nodded and moved toward her office.

“Let’s go Dorian, Caro,” Kennex declared and headed out of the precinct. As he drove Kennex felt the adrenaline rush that often kept him going during long cases.

“Scan the building, Dorian,” he requested once they had gone inside.

“There are no heat signatures but there is a Light Bomb in a downstairs room,” declared Dorian. 

“Can you disarm it?” asked Caro as they hurried down the stairs. 

“I’ll try,” Dorian told her. While Dorian went to the bomb on the floor, Kennex went to examine the chair. Rope had clearly been cut and lay on the floor.

“So where did they take White now?” Caro asked.

“Bomb’s disarmed,” Dorian said a moment later. Kennex’s phone rang a moment later.

“Kennex,” he answered.

“Are you all right? We noticed there was an explosive device in the basement,” Stahl asked.

“We’re fine. None of the kidnappers are here. Do you have any satellite footage of anyone leaving the building recently?” he asked.

“Three individuals left the building five minutes ago in a silver truck. According to the drone, they were driving towards the airport. Facial recognition identifies them as VX bots. Another three individuals left the building in a blue sedan two minutes after that. They had enough of their faces masked not to be able to get a clear identification from the exterior cameras. They drove away in the opposite direction,” Stahl informed him.

“Thanks,” replied Kennex and then hung up. It was clear one group was the decoy, but which one was it, he thought.

“If there were two groups of kidnappers, then we should send out cars after each one,” Dorian said after Kennex had explained the situation.

Kennex nodded in agreement and headed out with Dorian and Caro. Another police car followed in front of them. It didn’t take long before they came upon the silver truck that Stahl had noticed leaving. Kennex had just sped up to get closer when the silver truck swerved sharply to the side of the road and then stopped.

“Why are they stopping?” wondered Kennex as he did the same.

“Kennex, reverse now,” declared Caro. A moment later the truck they had been chasing exploded. Kennex ducked as the heat of the explosion blew out his front windshield. Glass reigned down on him and Dorian. The other police car that was closer had flipped over and was on fire in front of them. Kennex got out of the car with Dorian and Caro and hurried closer.

“Detective Maddox is dead and his MX is destroyed,” declared Dorian as he scanned the other car. Kennex nodded tersely then turned to look at the kidnapper’s truck. Though the fire and smoke of that car he didn’t see any blood but instead he saw mangled parts of bots.

“They must have been programmed to destroy themselves rather then turn themselves in. There are internal explosives in their chest cavity,” Dorian mused.

“So who would have that kind of skill in robotics?” wondered Caro.

“That’s a good question. Another good one is why this happened in the first place. I think it’s time we look closer at Ava’s family. Her mother and uncle are dead but we might be able to find a motive in their past,” Kennex suggested. Caro and Dorian nodded in agreement.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Kennex yawned. While Dorian had continued researching robotics companies, he and Caro had looked into the past of Thomas and Cynthia Williamson. Caro had discovered that Thomas had a clean criminal record but had been homeless at the time of his death due to the foreclosure of his house. There had been no evidence his brother had given him money to help him out or had even contacted him in the last year before his death. Kennex had scrolled through a great deal of Cynthia’s social media during her time at university because he thought that was when she would have met the most number of people. He’d found some individuals that she’d stayed in touch with after she’d graduated, but none of them had returned his phone messages so far.

“It’s late. Kennex and I need to sleep. Dorian, you and my MX need to recharge. Why don’t we all meet back here at 8 tomorrow morning?” Caro suggested. While Kennex was frustrated with their lack of progress so far, maybe the morning would give them new leads, he thought. He nodded to Caro and her MX and headed out of the building with Dorian. He left his partner at Rudy’s and then headed for his apartment.

“Good morning gentleman. Do you want the good news or the even better news first?” wondered Caro as she greeted them with a smile the next morning. Her MX stood beside her. Kennex took a sip from his coffee before he replied. He grimaced as the liquid burned his throat.

“Is your coffee too hot for you, John? I’m sure I could find you an ice cube somewhere if I look hard enough,” Dorian stated. If Caro hadn’t been standing right there, Kennex would have made a very rude gesture in the direction of his partner. As it was, he settled for glaring instead which had no effect whatsoever. He liked the temperature of his coffee just fine, even if it was cooler than what Dorian had calculated the average to be, he thought.

“Coffee is the only thing Kennex can make that tastes edible. That’s why I banned him from my kitchen more than any other reason,” Caro said.

“Hey, the rest of our night together went really well,” protested Kennex as he remembered their memorable third date. His attempt at cooking them spaghetti and meatballs had been a disaster but the subsequent pizza he’d ordered had been good. The evening had only improved from there when Caro had taken his hand and led him to her bedroom where they’d had sex for the first time. When he woke up the next morning to see her still asleep beside him, Kennex had thought at the time that he’d rarely seen anything more beautiful. Caro smiled softly at him as if she remembered that date fondly as well. 

“I believe you had relevant information about the case, Detective Caro?” her MX interrupted their private moment. Caro looked away from Kennex abruptly and opened up her terminal. Kennex turned to look at the screen. ‘What happened between the two of you is water under the bridge. Focus on the case,’ he told himself.

“Ava White was found earlier this morning at the outskirts of a construction site on Pier 2 by a security guard. She was beaten badly but the paramedics believe she will make a full recovery. Once she is feeling better I’ll get a full statement from her. Beside where she was found was the body of a VX bot that had been shot in the head with a .22 handgun.” An image of a body of a VX bot beside the form of Miss White was brought up on screen. Caro left it up for a moment for them to look at before she closed the image.

“I have a forensic team searching the area to see if the gun was thrown away there, but if they don’t find anything by tonight then I think it’s safe to assume we won’t find that weapon. As for a suspect, I think we have a good prospect,” she continued. A moment later a man’s driver ID image appeared on the terminal. 

“There wasn’t much left of the VX bots destroyed in the explosion, but Doctor Lom managed to get a serial number off a leg. That could be traced to their owner, a man by the name of Paul Davidson. He’s the founder of a private drone company called InFlight. Davidson excelled at robotics in university where he also happened to date White’s mother, Cynthia, before she met her husband. His office on Henderson Street should be open by the time we get there,” Caro concluded.

“Let’s go talk to him. Oh, and you don’t have to refer to everyone by their last name,” Kennex replied. 

“Clearly your precinct is different, but Captain Anderson prefers to use only last names to maintain professionalism. Besides, I’m here to work with you on a case, not take a trip down memory lane,” Caro said as Kennex drove.

“You always were a stickler for protocol, Caro,” he recalled.

“Yes, and you’ve always preferred to ignore the rules if it meant you got results, Kennex. But not everyone can have a boss that has your back because you are good friends. If there were any other captain other then Maldonado in charge of Delta Division, you’d have been relegated to supervising the MXs in the Traffic Division instead of being reinstated as a detective.” 

Given his initial psych report when he had returned to work after his medical leave and the animosity from several other officers for leading the inSyndicate raid which had turned into an ambush, Kennex couldn’t entirely disagree with her. He remained silent for the rest of their drive.

“I’m Detective Kennex, this is Detective Caro, and this is Dorian. We need to speak to Paul Davidson,” declared Kennex to the receptionist as he showed her his badge and so did Detective Caro and Dorian. The receptionist nodded then moved towards her phone. She let the phone ring for a while before she hung up.

“Usually Mr Davidson answers his phone, but he’s not picking up. Follow me and I’ll let you inside his office so you can wait for him there,” she offered. They went up an elevator then down a long corridor with the kind of art on the walls that was so nondescript Kennex wouldn’t have been able to identify it later if someone had asked him. The receptionist used a biolock to open the door. It was a corner office with windows that let in a great deal of the morning sunlight. The rest of the office seemed bare except for two brown leather chairs and a glass desk with a video caller and a computer on it. The receptionist closed the door behind her when she left, which left the four of them alone in the room.

“Scan the desk for fingerprints. See if you can match any of them with the biolocks in the rest of the building,” Caro ordered her MX. Dorian’s face lit up blue as he initiated a phone call.

“Stahl, this is Dorian. Can you access Paul Davidson’s bank records? When was his last transaction and for what amount?” He paused for a long moment to allow the other detective to give him an answer.

“I see. Did he have a safety deposit box?” There was another pause.

“Can you alert the San Diego airport authority to stop Davidson from leaving on all outbound flights? Also the port authority of that city in case he took a cruise ship in the hopes of hiding in a crowd? Thanks,” Dorian concluded the call.

“You think Davidson is a flight risk?” Kennex asked.

“I’ve accessed the building time files on this computer. The last time Davidson used a biolock in this building was at 5:02 PM yesterday on the front door as he left. So he didn’t come into work this morning,” stated Caro from behind the computer.

“But if he was going to leave on a plane, why didn’t he use the City airport?” Kennex inquired.

“Because he knew we would be monitoring that method of leaving the City as soon as we learned a car was driving there. Dorian, there hasn’t been any news from the City airport authority has there?”

“No. But if Paul left Pier 2 shortly after shooting the VX bot and leaving Ava beaten, there would have been amble time from him to drive to San Diego Airport and board an early morning flight.” 

“An American Airlines flight to Quito, Ecuador, departed the San Diego Airport at 7 AM this morning. Paul Davidson was one of the registered passengers aboard,” Caro’s MX informed them.

“But why would he fly there?” Kennex wanted to know.

“Did you learn nothing besides how to shoot a gun and run fast during the police academy, Kennex? Ecuador is the only country that doesn’t have an extradition treaty with the US. Once the plane lands there, we can’t touch him. As for stopping the plane in mid flight and having it return to the City, that option is only available if Davidson had already been charged with a federal crime or he was on one of the no-fly lists. Unless Davidson commits a crime in Ecuador he’s not going to the cubes. Given that his personal calendar indicates that he’s been taking weekly Spanish lessons for the last six months and he renewed his passport seven months ago, Davidson has been planning this for some time. Still, we should alert the Ecuadorian police and the US authorities that he is wanted for questioning.”

“Davidson closed his US banks accounts and took out the contents of his safety deposit box yesterday around noon. He changed almost all of his money to the pescor, which is the currency accepted in all the member states of MERCOSUR. I could compel the bank to reveal what the contents were with a warrant,” Dorian told them.

“Don’t bother. It’s probably something valuable like jewellery which he’ll sell for cash on the black market. As for interviewing the fellow members of his Spanish class or the MX that he renewed his passport from, that is likely a waste of time. I think Davidson wanted things to happen this way,” Caro concluded.

“But why?” Kennex asked. He’d been able to follow the rapid fire deductions between Caro and Dorian so far, but the motive for this murder and kidnapping was still unclear to him.

“Earlier this morning, I talked to Nichole Shields. She’s a former lover of Paul’s. She said he took his breakup with Cynthia in university hard. No woman has ever been able to compare to her since in his mind. Nichole said he seemed to resent that Richard married Cynthia and had a daughter with her. Sarah used to look a lot like her mother before the plastic surgery that turned her into Ava. Maybe that’s why she turned into a target in Davidson’s mind as he could have seen the surgery as an attempt to erase Cynthia completely from her life. Nichole split up with Paul three years ago because he still couldn’t let Cynthia go and she was tired of trying to be better than a memory. Since then Davidson has only had this company, which is hardly a substitute to keep you warm at night. He must have heard somehow that Miss White had moved back to the city and thought he could get revenge by killing her father and getting bitcoin out of her aunt. With his skill in robotics, it wouldn’t have been hard to reprogram the VX bots to kill Williamson and then blow themselves up afterwards. He knew we’d eventually trace what remained of the bots to him as the owner and question him so he left before we could close in,” Caro explained.

“Although I agree with your conclusions, the evidence we have is mostly circumstantial,” Dorian stated.

“Yeah. At least we know Davidson can’t ever return to the US or he’ll be picked up for questioning,” Caro said.

“A questioning of Miss White once she recovers in the hospital should yield further answers. The guard outside her room has informed me that she is now awake,” Caro’s MX said.

“Then let’s see what more we can find out,” Caro said. The four of them left the building for the hospital. Kennex usually liked to take the lead on questioning witnesses, but this time he decided he would let Caro do so. 

“Good morning. I’m Detective Caro, this is Detective Kennex, and this is Dorian,” Caro said. She’d left her MX outside the hospital room as there was not enough room for all of them inside.

“Hello,” Ava replied. She was pale and bruised. Her hospital gown and IV tubes made her look even more frail.

“Do you remember what happened to you?” Dorian asked.

“Four VX bots came into my house. They kidnapped me and took me to a warehouse where they tied me up. The video they recorded demanded bitcoin from my aunt Amelia. After that, they moved me somewhere else. They put a bag on my head so I couldn’t see where we were. I heard them record another message to the police then they moved me again. This time, there was some noice in the background as if they were setting up some tech then they left me alone. When they came back in the room, it was sudden. Two of them quickly marched me out. I could feel the arm of the person of the right side, and it didn’t feel like the solid metal frame of a bot. I heard water when we got out of the car so I knew we were likely close to one of the piers. I realized it was night when they removed the hood from my face. Because of the gag, I couldn’t cry out when the VX bot started beating me. I just remember the pain…” Ava trailed off there and closed her eyes.

“You’re doing great. Can you remember anything else?” Caro pressed.

“I think I passed out because I remember feeling sleepy. When I opened my eyes again, the VX bot was beside me. The hole in his head made it clear what had happened. I rolled over onto my back and made a sound as I tried to breathe steadily. There was a man above me. It was dark so all I could see was that he was tall and he was wearing dark gloves. He pulled my gag down to my chin. I asked him who he was and why he was doing this. He said his name was Paul and he should have been my father. But as that hadn’t happened, I now had to be punished on behalf of my father because he had married the only woman Paul had ever loved. He’d seen my parent’s marriage as forever separating the two of them. I should be sad my dad is dead, but instead I feel relieved. I’m such a bad daughter…” she trailed off again as tears ran down her face.

“I never had a father but I’ve learned that no one is perfect. Do you think Paul thought you could be a replacement for your mother?” Dorian inquired. 

“Maybe, but my mom never talked about the men she’d dated before my dad. But how could Paul have known who and where I was? My name and appearance were so different when I moved back to the City compared to when I left.”

“We don’t know. Your kidnapper is not currently in police custody but we will do our utmost to find and arrest him,” Caro promised.

“If he’s smart enough to evade the police so far, then he probably won’t be arrested. I’ll be happy with never seeing him again,” Ava declared.

“We should let you get some rest. An MX will take your formal statement after lunch,” Dorian replied. Ava nodded then yawned. The three of them quickly left the hospital.

“So what now?” asked Kennex as they stood by the police car parked outside.

“We’ve done all we could. Unfortunately, you can’t solve every case. But it was a pleasure working with both of you. Thanks for letting me ride along,” Caro said.

“Our cases were linked with yours so it was only logical,” Dorian replied.

“Speaking of logical I’d better get back to my MX. Take care of yourself Kennex, Dorian,” Caro concluded.

“You too, Caro,” he said. She nodded to them both and walked back inside the hospital.

“Unless you knew the personal history between the two of you, very few people would know that your relationship with Detective Caro ended badly,” Dorian observed as they drove back to the precinct.

“Just because our personal relationship ended in a big fight doesn’t mean we can’t both be professional now. Besides, what happened between Dalia and I is ancient history,” Kennex told him.

“So do you think that time heals all wounds?” Dorian wondered.

“Not all of them,” Kennex mused as he considered his synthetic leg which he would have to wear for the rest of his life.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

A week later

“Hello Detective Kennex, Dorian,” Ava White greeted the two detectives as they entered the room at the precinct where she had been waiting for them. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting. What can we help you with, Miss White?” asked Detective Kennex. Something about him felt familiar even though she had been in so much pain in the hospital that she hadn’t been too focused on her visitors.

“I wanted to thank you both for saving my life. I owe you lunch. Before you protest, I’m buying,” she said. Dorian looked at Detective Kennex.

“Thanks for the offer. I don’t eat but John might be interested in a free meal,” Dorian said.

“If you insist, Miss White,” Detective Kennex replied.

“Call me Ava and I do,” she insisted.

“So where would you like to go?” Detective Kennex wondered as they walked out of the room.

“You choose,” Ava replied. She wasn’t overly picky when it came to food, she thought. Once Detective Kennex began to drive in his car, she took a closer look at him. Now she remembered where she recognized him from, Ava thought with chagrin. Before her father had been killed, she had responded to his online dating profile. Was that the reason he had agreed to lunch with her? Perhaps she owed him an explanation about that, Ava thought. She took a deep breath and turned her head to look at him.

“Can I ask you a personal question, Detective Kennex?” she wondered.

“Call me John and go ahead,” he offered.

“Do you really like quiche, smooth jazz, and long walks on the beach or did someone else write your online dating profile as Doctor Richard?” she wanted to know. He rubbed one hand between his eyes briefly.

“Dorian wrote that dating profile for me because he thought I needed help finding women, which I certainly do not,” he explained.

“Is Dorian always so invasive of your privacy?” she asked as she wasn’t that familiar with the typical behaviour of a DRN. All she knew was that the behaviour of some models had been erratic, which is why they had been recalled from service as cops. As a result she wondered why John was working with one now.

“Unfortunately. But he’s also a good cop and a good friend. Though don’t tell him I said that!” John replied.

“I won’t. In some ways that reminds me of Heather. She threatened to set me up on another blind date because she told me that I was lonely and needed to get out more. I objected but she said that the only way that she wouldn’t arrange another blind date for me was if I responded to an online dating profile. So I picked your profile because I liked your picture and I thought you were being ironic about what you like, given that what you said was so stereotypical,” Ava explained. He looked at her more closely.

“So you find me attractive,” he stated.

“For now, but I don’t know you well enough to say if that will change or not,” Ava admitted. He nodded.

“Fair enough. Welcome to my favourite Japanese place in the City,” he changed the subject as he got out of the car. Once they were inside the restaurant an older Japanese man walked up to them.

“Hello, John. Who is your friend?” he asked.

“Nuri, meet Ava White. Ava, meet Nuri,” John introduced them. Ava gave Nuri a short bow and then made a remark in Japanese. Nuri smiled and then responded in the same language before he led them to seats by the window.

“What did you say to Nuri?” asked John as they sat down.

“I said that it was a pleasure to meet him and asked what he would recommend most from the menu,” Ava replied.

“When did you learn Japanese?” John wondered. 

“I spent a year in New Tokyo working for a history museum after I finished university in Seattle,” she recalled.

“I thought you took history and education when you went to the University of Washington,” he replied. Ava was momentarily confused about his knowledge of her education until she realized that John knew a great deal about every aspect of her life as a result of the police investigation that had ended shortly after their first meeting in hospital. Well, at least that spares us some of the usual small talk of two acquaintances getting to know each another better, she thought.

“I did, which is why I was well suited to work as a historical advisor on the American collection they had in New Tokyo,” Ava explained.

“I see. So do you have any hobbies?” John wondered.

“I like to read historical fiction and run daily with my dog Patrick,” Ava replied. The food arrived shortly. Ava nodded to Nuri in thanks while John just began to eat his meal.

“A dog is better then a cat. I’m allergic to cats,” John declared.

“Do you have any other pets?” Ava wondered as she eat at a slower pace than John.

“No, I don’t have time for them. So what kind of art do you like?” wondered John.

“I like older art such as Van Gogh paintings,” Ava told him.

“I thought I recognized the hologram of one of the paintings in your home office. The Starry Night wasn’t it?” he replied. 

“Yes. You have a good eye for details,” she replied.

“It’s part of being a cop,” John explained.

“I can understand that. I have to pay attention to details as a teacher too. You would not believe some of the answers my students have given me on tests,” Ava responded.

“Like what?” asked John.

“I taught a course on the pre-Wall religious history of the United States two years ago. There was a question in an exam about Joseph Smith and one of my students wrote that he married a lot of women and was killed in a jail. Technically that was correct but it wasn’t the level of detail that I was looking for. For a brief moment I despaired that I had failed as a teacher,” Ava remembered.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I bet you’re a great teacher,” John replied. She smiled at the compliment.

“Thanks. But technology doesn’t make it easy. Every student in my classes is either wearing computer glasses or using a tablet to record my lectures. That’s why I like to have discussion groups to see who was actually paying attention in class and who did the readings,” Ava explained.

“Are most of your students rich?” John wondered.

“Most of them are but City University has an admission policy of admitting twenty percent of the students on full scholarships rather than the amount of bitcoin or cash they have. Sometimes I find those students are the ones that work the hardest because they are glad to be there rather then thinking that they deserve to be. Sorry, that was uncalled for. Most of my students are great and I do like teaching most of the time. It’s just some days I’d rather be doing something else,” Ava answered.

“Isn’t that true of all jobs?” John asked.

“I suppose so. There’s no such thing as perfection after all,” Ava mused.

“I bet chromes would disagree with you about that,” John told her.

“Do you know many chromes?” Ava wondered. She hadn’t met many chromes herself.

“Only Detective Stahl,” John said. Ava raised both eyebrows.

“Isn’t it unusual for a chrome to be a cop?” Ava replied. 

“I thought so too when I first started working with her. But you’re right that Detective Stahl is a good cop,” responded John as he finished his rice.

“I’ve talked a lot about myself so far. Why don’t you tell me more about yourself?” Ava changed the subject. 

“I played football in high school and was known as a fast runner. That’s why they called me the White Cheetah,” John told her.

“Did you keep the trophies you won?” wondered Ava. John titled his head slightly.

“How did you know that?” he asked.

“You would only speak so fondly about that time if you liked the reminder of your glory days,” she speculated. 

“Guilty as charged,” he admitted.

“So do you play any sports now?” Ava wondered.

“No, but I do watch the Knights,” John answered.

“So why did you become a cop?” Ava changed the subject.

“My dad Edward was a cop too. After seeing his example, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do,” he recounted.

“I’m sure your dad is proud of you now,” Ava told him. In her biased opinion, John was a good cop.

“I wouldn’t know because he died in the line of duty,” John replied quietly. Ava leaned forward and placed her left hand beside his own.

“I’m sorry to hear that. The only family I have left is my aunt Amelia,” she quietly reflected.

“I met Amelia briefly when you were kidnapped but tell me more about her,” he urged her.

“Amelia used to be a researcher at Hudson Astronomical Center here in the City. In the summer when I was growing up we’d head out to her cabin on the shores of Lake Michigan where she’d show me the night sky with her telescope. I can’t see much of the night sky here in the City but I can still remember those nights,” Ava informed him.

“When I was eleven I went ice fishing with my dad at Lake McFarland. I fell through the ice but my dad saved me,” John told her.

“Do you fish now?” Ava wondered.

“No. The only fish I eat now are dead,” John told her.

“So what else do you like to eat beside seafood?” Ava wondered.

“I eat a lot of noodles and toast,” he admitted. Ava wondered how long it had been since someone had cooked a meal for John then dismissed the thought as none of her business.

“But do you ever try eating anything more adventurous?” she wondered.

“Not often,” John admitted.

“Well that’s a shame,” Ava declared.

“Why is that?” John wondered. Ava swallowed the last of her food before she answered him.

“Because I had hoped to have a chance to broaden your horizons. But if you’re quite content with how things are, that’s fine too,” Ava replied. He leaned closer to her.

“Are you asking me if I would like to go on a date with you?” he wondered.

“Yes I am because I had a good time having lunch with you,” Ava admitted.

“So did I but I don’t want to rush things,” John insisted.

“Neither do I,” Ava told him. He nodded.

“I have to get back on the streets but I’ll give you a call when I can,” he promised her.

“I look forward to it. Have a good day, John,” Ava replied as Nori approached her.

“You too, Ava,” replied John before he quickly walked out of the restaurant. A moment later Ava tapped her bitcoin stick against the reader that was held out by Nuri.

“Thank you for the meal,” she replied in Japanese.

“You’re welcome,” he responded in kind.

“Good day, Nuri,” she replied in English and then left the restaurant. The train station was nearby so Ava made her way there to head back home.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Two weeks later 

Ava turned off the screen in front of her and then rose from the couch. As she stood, the video caller on the coffee table in front of her flashed with the blue light that indicated an incoming call. She pressed the answer button. When the video image appeared in front of her, she was surprised to see John Kennex.

“Hi, Ava. How are you?” he asked.

“I’m fine, John. What about you?” He was still wearing his work clothes, she noted.

“The latest case I worked on took a long time to solve. That’s why I didn’t call you sooner. Are you still interested in that date?”

“I am. Are you free this Friday night?”

“Yes. Why don’t we meet at six thirty at Mingle? Have you heard of it?”

“That’s the restaurant in the middle of Westmont Park, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Will I see you then?”

“I look forward to it. Goodnight, John,” Ava said.

“Goodnight, Ava,” he concluded. A moment later the call ended. Ava went to bed that night with a smile on her face.

Three days later, Ava waited for John to arrive at Mingle. The exterior of the restaurant complimented the rustic nature of the surrounding park. While Westmont Park did have narrow dirt paths throughout as well as public restrooms at one entrance, the rest of the land contained various grasses and shrubs growing wild. It was nice to see some nature in the middle of so much human activity, Ava thought. A moment later, she saw John walking quickly along the path towards her.

“Sorry I’m late. Construction seems to happen year round in the City,” John said.

“I understand. Shall we go inside?” she answered. He nodded and moved to open the door in front of her.

“So how are you?” John asked as they sat down at a cozy wooden table.

“I had a long day because I was catching up on my messages before I go back into work on Monday,” Ava told him.

“So are you teaching a new course next term?” John wondered.   
“Yes, I’m teaching a course on the pre-Wall technology of the United States,” Ava replied.

“What does technology have to do with history?” he wondered.

“A lot more then I initially thought when the dean of social sciences suggested that I teach this course. I’m still refining the lesson plan but hopefully this subject will be something my students will find more interesting than my last course on the history of American women,” Ava explained.

“So how are religious history, women’s history, and the history of technology connected? Didn’t you specialize in American history in university?” wondered John.

“I did, but I’m also on contract with City University. That means unlike the tenured professors who specialize in a single subject, I teach the more general American history courses that no one else does,” Ava explained. A few moments later the waitress arrived.

“What can I get you?” she asked.

“I’ll have a deluxe burger and Stella Artois. Ava?” John replied.

“A salmon salad and nitro lemonade,” Ava requested. The waitress nodded and left with their menus. 

“Can I ask you a personal question?” wondered John.

“Isn’t that what dates are for? Go ahead,” Ava replied. He nodded.

“What was your mom Cynthia like?” he asked. Ava took a deep breath before she answered him.

“My mom was a librarian before the Wall went up and the libraries in the City closed. After that she worked at an auction house. Cynthia loved antiques and paper books. I inherited her collection after her death. I only keep my favourites in my house and the rest are locked away in a self-storage unit,” Ava reflected.

“I have some paper books but not that many because they are expensive,” he replied.

“I understand. So what was your mom like?” Ava wondered.

“My mom, Violet, divorced my dad when I was a teenager and then moved to Tampa. We lost touch for years though she did attend my dad’s funeral,” John replied. She nodded in understanding.

“Are you an only child?” she asked.

“Yes, and so are both my parents. What is your extended family like?” John wondered.

“Twenty years ago Amelia married a Russian man named Igor Kozlov who ran a phone repair company. He was caught in the crossfire when two gangs were fighting for turf in the Middle Ward District two years ago. The one silver lining was that they didn’t have children,” Ava replied.

“Do you want kids?” John wondered.

“No, I don’t want kids of my own. What about you?” she wondered.

“I don’t really have a lifestyle that is good for kids. Besides, Dorian thinks I’m bad with them,” John replied.

“Why would he think that?” Ava wondered.

“Probably because I once stuck a knife into my synthetic leg in front of kids,” John replied.

“You have a synthetic leg?” Ava asked.

“Yes. Does that bother you?” John demanded.

“Not at all considering synthetic limbs have made a difference in the lives of many people. My friend Tom has a synthetic arm after a car accident,” Ava said.

“Really? I didn’t like my synthetic leg at first but it’s growing on me,” John admitted. He paused for a moment.

“So how long has it been since you’ve dated?” he changed the subject.

“My last romantic relationship was at university with a man named Seamus. To make a long story short it ended badly. After that I figured I should focus on my career instead. What about you?” Ava answered.

“Yeah, my last romance ended badly too. I should never have trusted my ex-girlfriend,” John mused. Before she could ask for more details about that, their food arrived. Ava held up her glass of nitro lemonade.

“May I suggest a toast to starting again?” she proposed.

“I’ll drink to that,” John replied. They clicked glasses and then drank. As they eat their food, John turned the subject to the weather. Their conversation flowed easily throughout the main course and even into desert when they shared a piece of chocolate cheesecake. John insisted on paying. She let him do so.

“Would you like to go for a stroll before we leave the park?” she suggested.

“It’s a nice evening, so why not?” John agreed. 

They put on their coats and headed away from the restaurant on the dirt path beneath their feet. The path was narrow enough that they had to walk quite closely beside each other. John remained silent and Ava didn’t feel the need to talk at the moment. It’s nice to be with someone who can occasionally see the need for silence, she thought. People who rambled on without understanding that they were boring their audience or who just wouldn’t seem to shut up were not people she enjoyed spending time with. So far, John didn’t seem to be like that. She glanced at him. He appeared to be lost in his own thoughts. 

Ava reached out and clasped John’s hand. When he didn’t immediately respond to her touch, she began to move her hand away from him. Suddenly she felt him grip her fingers. He moved his fingers until they were holding each other’s hand. Had his momentary hesitation stemmed from being touched unexpectedly, or was he unsure as to how much affection they should show each other in public, she wondered. Perhaps it would be best to go slowly, she thought. Yes, she would take her time to truly determine if John was the right man for her rather than rush full speed ahead without any care for her heart, Ava decided.

But speaking of rushing, wasn’t that cyclist on the path peddling towards them rather fast? Because of a large shrub by the side of the path, he couldn’t move around them so Ava stepped abruptly in front of John. They reached to hold onto each other to steady themselves as they stilled and the cyclist rode past. 

“You OK?” he asked her.

“Yes. But clearly some people think they should have the right of way on this path.”

“It’s pretty narrow so they should be respectful of others.” She nodded in agreement. 

Now that the cyclist was gone, Ava was keenly aware of the warmth of John’s hands on her hips and the firmness of his arms under her hands. Their eyes met and held for a long moment before he stepped back and let go of her.

“Can I drive you home?”

“Yes please.”

They were silent during the drive but it was a comfortable silence rather than an awkward one. John walked Ava to her front door and then stopped.

“Thank you for a wonderful date,” Ava replied as she stood close to him.

“You’re welcome. I had a good time too. Would you like to go out again?” John said.

“I’d like that. But this time I get to choose the restaurant,” she insisted.

“I don’t mind where we eat as long as the food is dead,” John informed her.

“I might like trying new cuisine, but I can assure you that I don’t like live food either,” Ava answered.

“Good,” he replied. A moment later she placed a hand on his shoulder and rose on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. His eyes closed briefly but they were soft when she pulled away from him. John moved one hand to her chin and raised her face towards him. Ava looked him in the eyes as he lowered his head to kiss her. Once their lips met she kissed him back. He wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her close. By the time they ended the kiss to breathe again, she felt quite breathless.

“That was fantastic. But you’d better go now,” she said. 

“Am I moving too fast for you?” he wondered. 

“No, but can I speak frankly?” she asked. He nodded.

“I like you but I’m not ready to sleep with you just yet,” she told him. John was a good kisser but she wasn’t going to open her home or her heart up to him until she felt ready, Ava thought.

“I can wait until you are ready. I’d like to get to know you better too before we move our relationship to the bedroom,” John replied.

“Thank you. Good night, John,” Ava replied.

“Good night, Ava,” he replied. A moment later she turned to go inside her place. Once she had greeted Patrick, Ava walked over to the window of her living room which looked onto the street. She smiled as she saw John get in his car and drive away. Once he had done so, Ava grabbed her tablet from the coffee table and sat down on the couch to watch the evening news before bed.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Three weeks later

As Ava watched Heather and her new husband, Ryan, on the dance floor at their wedding reception, she tired to smile. She and Heather had only known each other for less than a year, so she’d been surprised when the younger woman had asked her to be a bridesmaid for her wedding. But as she didn’t have any other friends in the City, she had reluctantly agreed. She had been a little skeptical at organizing a fall wedding, but so far the cooler weather hadn’t been an issue and she was glad the caterers had been worth the money. Not that Heather was paying for this wedding, thought Ava. Her husband was an investment banker and so his parents were footing the bill.

Ava brushed her hair slightly. She was unused to such an elaborate hairstyle, the formal ankle length grey mermaid dress, and the two inch heels she wore. Normally she wore pantsuits to work or casual clothing when she wasn’t teaching. This wedding was far out of her comfort zone. Before she could think much more, Heather and Ryan ended the dance and her friend sat down beside her at the table.

“Enjoying yourself?” wondered Ava.

“So far,” replied Heather. She took a closer look at Ava.

“Are you?” she asked.

“For the most part, even though I’m not as outgoing as you are,” Ava replied.

“Says the woman who once posed for a painting,” remarked Heather. 

“It’s not like I was nude. I was wearing a sheet,” answered Ava quietly. She knew that Heather was referring to a painting that her friend Tom had done soon after her plastic surgery which he had named Woman in Red. Her plastic surgery had been expensive and as she was unemployed, Ava knew that she would run out of money soon. So when Ava had seen the advertisement for models for a painter she had contacted Tom. After all, it wouldn’t be that hard to lie on a chaise lounge for several hours, she thought. The work hadn’t been challenging and had paid well but she hadn’t counted on the painting being part of a series that Tom exhibited six months later. The series had been well received but she Ava didn’t intend her notoriety to go any further beyond the art world.

“You never intend for John to ever see that painting, do you?” Heather realized. Ava shook her head.

“No I don’t, so don’t mention it please,” Ava requested.

“My lips are sealed. But speaking of John, how is he? You could have invited him as a last minute guest you know,” Heather stated.

“Thanks for the offer but when I answered the RVSP months ago I wasn’t dating anyone. Besides, John had to work and I’m not about to ask him to take time off to be with me,” Ava explained.

“I see. So have you spent the night together yet?” Heather wanted to know.

“Not yet,” Ava told her.

“Why not?” Heather asked.

“Because we’ve only been together for less than a month and we both agreed not to rush things,” Ava explained.

“That’s probably for the best. The worst thing is when the haze of lust wears off and you realize that you never really knew the other person in the first place,” Heather mused.

“It sounds like you speak from experience about that,” Ava remarked.

“Unfortunately I do. But now that I’m a married woman, it’s only Ryan for me,” Heather said with a smile.

“Better you than me,” Ava stated. Heather frowned.

“You know, not every man is like your ex. It’s time for you to move on,” she insisted.

“Why do you think I started dating again?” Ava replied.

“Yeah, but only after I pressured you out of your apartment. Honestly, do you do anything other then work, run with Patrick, or watch the nightly news?” Heather wondered.

“Now I do,” Ava replied with a smile as she recalled her last date with John. It seemed her thoughts were evident given Heather’s response.

“Some day soon I want to get to know your boyfriend better. Our first meeting wasn’t exactly friendly,” she said.

“I’ll ask John but he’s pretty busy with work,” Ava offered.

“Well, he’s not too busy to date you. So surely John has time one evening for dinner. Why don’t Ryan and I come over to your house for a double date?” suggested Heather.

“You’re only suggesting that because you like my cooking,” Ava suspected.

“It’s much better then mine, I’ll admit.” Heather confessed. Having tasted Heather’s cooking for herself, Ava silently agreed.

“I knew there were other reasons why Ryan married you,” she remarked. A new song began to play.

“Enough. Speaking of my husband, I’m going to dance with him again. Excuse me,” Heather concluded then rose to dance again with Ryan.

By the time Ava got home that evening it was quite late. Patrick greeted her eagerly at the door and Ava felt a brief pang of guilt that she had neglected him all day. She bent down to pet his head while she removed her purse, coat, and heels.

“You’re probably hungry huh? Time for your dinner,” she talked to him as she walked to the kitchen. She soon refilled the water and food dishes then put the bowls back down on the floor. Patrick soon began to eat without paying her any attention. ‘I can see what you really care about,’ Ava mused with amusement. Put food in front of a dog and nothing else mattered, she thought as she went to her living room. She was half way across the room when she saw the video caller on the end of the coffee table. Perhaps she should call John before she went to bed. She didn’t want to wake him up but she could always leave a message, she thought. Ava initiated the call before she could change her mind. 

Several moments later the form of her boyfriend appeared. He still wore his dark work clothes.

“Good evening, John. How are you?” she asked. There was a long moment of silence as he stared at her.

“What?” she continued with a glance down at her body as she wondered what he was looking at.

“Ava, you look so beautiful that I want to take you in my arms and kiss you right now,” he smoothly stated. She smiled slightly.

“I’m flattered. How was your day?” she changed the subject. She wasn’t that good at flirting so she didn’t really know how else to reply, she thought.

“The perps ran when we questioned them but we arrested them soon enough. How was the wedding?” he replied.

“The food was the best thing about the day. Heather wants to get to know you better,” she told him.

“Really?” he questioned. She could tell by his expression that he was hardly pleased by the idea.

“Well, we certainly don’t have to do so immediately. Right now Heather and Ryan are on their honeymoon so I doubt she will be answering my calls anytime soon,” she assured him.

“Probably not,” he remarked.

“Speaking of marriage, what are your thoughts on the matter?” she wondered.

“I did think about it when I was younger, but I’m also aware how dangerous it is to be a cop. I don’t want a woman mourning me if I died in the line of duty. Besides, why do you need an expensive ceremony in order to signify to the whole world that you’re committed to each other?” he answered.

“I agree that marriage shouldn’t be the defining factor in a relationship. What matters to me is the level of commitment between two people. I don’t need a wedding to have that,” she stated.

“Fair enough. It’s late so I should let you get some sleep. Good night, Ava,” he concluded.

“Good night, John,” she replied. The video call ended a moment later. Ava rose and went to the bedroom.

She could tell from his slow appraisal of her body earlier that John wanted more than just to kiss her. If she was being honest, she wanted more than that too. Ava decided that she would plan to have a time when the two of them could be alone, preferably where they couldn’t be interrupted. Before she could think any further about the subject, she yawned. She was getting ahead of herself. Right now she was tired and needed to sleep, she knew as she got ready for bed.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Five weeks later

Most of the time, Kennex enjoyed the adrenaline rush of hunting down criminals and the satisfaction of helping people as a cop. But the unpredictable and long hours weren’t always easy. For example, he’d had to cancel his last two dates in a row with Ava because of work. He and Dorian had been tracking a serial killer who had been choosing women based on their online dating profiles then raping them before he killed them. But now that the case was done, Kennex wanted to spend some time alone with Ava. He walked towards Maldonado’s office and knocked on the glass door. She raised her head and then motioned for him to come inside.

“What can I do for you, John?” his boss asked once he had closed the door behind him.

“I want to use some of my personal time to take next Friday through Sunday off,” he explained.

“Why? It’s been a long time since you took personal time,” Maldonado observed.

“Yes, but I wanted to go away with Ava to a cabin at Upper Saranac Lake to celebrate the New Year,” Kennex replied.

“Are you sure you’re not rushing things?” asked Maldonado. He wasn’t sure if she was asking as his boss, as his friend, or as a combination of the two.

“I won’t make the same mistake twice. By this point in my relationship with Anna, I’d asked her to move in with me. Ava and I haven’t even spent the night together yet,” he told her.

“Even so, you’ve been calmer then usual since you started dating so I think your girlfriend is good for you. I’ll give you the three days off but just be careful. I don’t want to see you get hurt again,” Maldonado told him.

“Thanks,” Kennex said.

On Friday afternoon Kennex met Ava at the airport for their flight to Albany, New York. There was electricity and heat in the cabin he’d booked but also tech that blocked the satellite signal of his phone which ensured that they wouldn’t be disturbed. He knew Dorian would be able to track his location chip, so he’d turned it off before he got to the airport.

“Hi, Ava. Ready to go?” he asked as she approached him.

“Yes I am. Patrick is staying with Heather and I’m looking forward to having you to myself this weekend. Tell me, John, have you ever been in a canoe before?” she asked him as they sat in the departure lounge.

“Can’t say that I have,” he admitted.

“Amelia owns a canoe and the two of us would take it out on Lake Michigan every summer. Though right now the lake will be frozen over. Speaking of water, do you swim?” she replied.

“I know how to swim but my synthetic leg doesn’t like being underwater or in the shower,” he informed her.

“I don’t swim well but I do cook. I hope you like my meals this weekend,” Ava answered.

“I didn’t know that you cook. Are you any good?” he wondered.

“I haven’t had any complaints so far. But cooking is as far as I go when it comes to domestic chores. I hate cleaning so I’ve hired a cleaning company to come and clean my house once a week. I also don’t know how to fix anything more complicated than changing a battery or a lightbulb. My neighbour, Mrs Sampson, loves to garden so I pay her to tend to my flowerbeds and mow my lawn,” she admitted.

“I don’t mind cleaning or fixing things around the house but I don’t have much time for either. As for plants, I don’t have the time to take care of them,” John told her. The conversation came to an end there as the plane began to board. He remained quiet during the flight and Ava read a book on her tablet beside him. 

Once they landed in Albany and retrieved their luggage, John rented a car from the airport. Ava suggested they stop for groceries on the way as the cabin had a basic kitchen. He agreed and pulled into the parking lot of a grocery store. 

“What do you like to eat besides noodles and toast?” Ava asked as they entered the store.

“I drink a lot of coffee,” he informed her.

“That doesn’t surprise me. Tell you what, I’ll pick what to eat for this weekend. If you want something else, let me know,” she told him. He nodded.

They were soon on their way to their destination. Kennex kept up a conversation about current affairs, which he discovered Ava followed even more closely then he did. ‘I knew that she was smart,’ he thought with admiration. It was late by the time they reached the cabin so they quickly went inside. The place had an old fashioned key lock rather then a more modern biolock. The cabin had one bedroom with a double bed, a restroom, a small kitchen, a living room with a cabinet and a futon, and a small front closet. In the back yard there was a deck that overlooked the lake.

“This is cozy,” Ava observed as she set her suitcase beside the futon. She yawned and then turned to him.

“It’s been a long day. Why don’t you take the bedroom? I’m fine with the futon,” she continued.

“The bed looks big enough for both of us,” he suggested.

“It probably is. But how often do you have nightmares?” she asked. He looked at her in surprise.

“How do you know that I have nightmares?” he wanted to know.

“After what you’ve seen and experienced as a cop, I would be surprised if you didn’t have trouble sleeping sometimes. But there’s no shame in that. I had nightmares for the first two weeks after my kidnapping. That’s why I went to see a therapist offered through Victim Services,” she told him.

“I’m taking weekly anger management classes myself,” Kennex admitted.

“Are they working?” she wondered.

“My boss, Captain Maldonado, thinks they are, which is what matters,” he told her.

“I see. Good night, John. You can sleep in if you want. I’ll wake you up once I finish making breakfast tomorrow,” she offered.

“Good night, Ava,” he replied. They shared a brief kiss then Kennex headed toward the bedroom.

Next morning, Kennex woke up to the smell of pancakes coming from the kitchen. Once he attached his leg, went to the restroom, and got dressed, he entered the kitchen. As he walked closer he also saw a bowl of berries, a bowl of sugar, a small jug of milk, and a bottle of real maple syrup on the table. Ava stood by the coffee machine.

“Morning, Ava. This looks good. I hadn’t eaten pancakes since I was a kid. You’re not drinking coffee?” he wondered as she approached the table with two mugs full of hot liquid.

“Morning, John. No, I acquired a taste for tea during my year in Japan. Here’s your coffee,” she replied then gave him one of the mugs. She sat the other mug down by her plate and then sat down. He did the same. Kennex put one spoonful of sugar in his coffee as Ava served herself.

“This is good,” Kennex commented after he had eaten his first pancake. 

“Thanks, but it was just pancake mix and fresh fruit. It’s hard to wreck that,” Ava replied.

“You’re speaking to the man that has burned ramen,” he admitted. She smiled slightly at that. Dorian had once told him that he had a tendency to eat with his mouth open. Ava hadn’t mentioned it so far but perhaps he should try and swallow more often, Kennex thought. He didn’t want his girlfriend to think he was a pig when it came to food. Once they had finished eating, he helped her to clear the table and load the dishes into a dishwasher. Once that was done Ava turned to him.

“I’m going to take some pictures outside on the deck. Do you want to join me?” she asked.

“It’s far too cold out there,” he objected. 

“Then you don’t have to come outside,” she said. He nodded. But he soon grew tired of waiting for Ava to come back inside so he put his own coat and boots on and joined her on the deck.

“It’s peaceful out here isn’t it?” Ava remarked as she took another picture with her camera. Kennex noticed that the area around the lake was forested. The cabins themselves were clear enough to see through the trees while the winter sky was clear.

“Yes it is,” he admitted. She turned her head to look at him.

“Even so, part of you wishes that you were chasing down a suspect in some dark alley right now, am I right?” she wondered.

“It’s nice to have a weekend where no one is shooting at me for a change,” he replied.

“Only a cop would say that,” she responded.

“Well, you can take a cop away from their district but you can’t remove their training and instincts,” Kennex told her.

“Fair enough. Tell me when you want to go back to the cabin for lunch,” she changed the subject.

“You can take pictures for a little longer,” he remarked. She nodded then turned to look at him.

“Do you mind if I take a picture of you?” she asked.

“Of course not,” he replied then went to stand by the railing around the deck. Ava took his picture a few moments later.

“One more. Oh, and this time smile,” she urged him. He did so.

“Thanks. You can take a picture of me if you want,” she offered.

“That’s all right. I don’t need a picture of you to remember this weekend,” Kennex replied. He remembered how long he’d hung onto the pictures of Anna he had after the coma. But he had no desire to document his relationship with Ava in the same way, he thought.

“Fine. Let’s go inside,” Ava suggested. Once they had returned to the cabin and removed their coats and shoes, Ava gestured towards the couch.

“Have a seat. I’ll make us some lunch. How does grilled cheese sandwiches and salad sound?” she asked.

“That sounds good,” remarked John. 

“Bon appetit,” Ava said as she sat down the food on the kitchen table a short time later. Kennex looked at the food.

“The last time anyone told me that it was immediately followed by me eating a slug,” he recalled.

“Why did you eat a slug?” Ava wondered as she served herself some salad. Kennex reached for a sandwich.

“Dorian ordered the slug in Japanese without me knowing, then he told me it would offend Nori if I didn’t eat it,” Kennex recalled. But he’d gotten Dorian back for that later, he remembered.

“So that’s why you dislike live food. You know, during my birthday when I was in Japan I got so drunk on sake that I eat a live eel after a dare. But once I remembered what I had done the next morning I resolved never to drink alcohol ever again. If I’m going to have a fun time then I don’t want it to be mixed with regret,” Ava told him. Ava didn’t seem like the type of woman who would agree to a dare but alcohol changed the behaviour of almost everyone. Kennex couldn’t really think of a response to that so he fell silent for the rest of the meal. After they had finished eating they sat down beside each other on the couch. Kennex stretched his arm out on the back of the couch. To his surprise Ava rested her head against his chest and placed a hand on his knee. When he remained silent she moved her head to look up at him.

“You don’t mind do you? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” she stated.

“I’m not uncomfortable, just surprised. I’m not much of a touchy feely person,” Kennex remarked. He didn’t tend to hold women in bed and he rarely hugged people. But he privately admitted that the warmth of her body beside him did feel nice.

“Patrick is always lying down on my couch with his head and front paws on my legs,” Ava told him.

“Then why don’t you move him?” wondered Kennex.

“Because an 120-pound dog can’t be moved easily. Besides, it’s comforting to have him there. Does that sounds pathetic that I find the affection of an animal soothing?” she explained.

“No, I can understand that. My mom had a rabbit when I was a child which she named Fluffy. I was sad for days when he died,” Kennex recalled.

“I understand,” Ava replied. Neither of them spoke again for some time. It was nice just being alone here with Ava, he thought. Kennex appreciated that Ava didn’t feel the need to fill every silence between them with conversation like some women would. ‘Be careful, Kennex, don’t give your heart away so easily again,’ he warned himself. A few moments later he excused himself to go to the restroom. Once he returned to the living room it was to find Ava kneeling in front of a cabinet.

“What are you looking for?” he asked.

“I was trying to find this board game,” she replied as she stood and held up a box which was labelled Scrabble.

“I haven’t seen that board game since I was a kid. Would you like to play?” he suggested.

“You’re on,” she challenged him.

“I take it you don’t like to lose,” Kennex noted as she set up the game on the coffee table in front of the couch.

“Not if I can help it,” she remarked. Much to his chagrin, Kennex lost both the first game and the second one. It was clear that Ava’s vocabulary was more extensive than his own.

“That was fun. Do you mind putting this away? I have to go to the restroom,” she remarked. He nodded. Kennex found that there was a chess set, checkers, and dominos also in the cabinet. He pulled out checkers. Ava held up a hand when she returned to the room and saw the game on the table.

“Oh no. I’m horrible at checkers. I’ll freely concede right now that you’ll win,” she replied.

“Come on. You can’t be that bad. Why don’t we play just one game?” he suggested.

“Oh, all right,” she conceded. To his surprise Kennex swiftly beat her in 5 minutes.

“See John? I’m not good at everything,” Ava told him.

“Well we can’t all be perfect chromes,” he remarked as he put away the checkers.

“Yes and thank goodness for that,” Ava remarked as she sat down on the couch.

“Do you have some bias against chromes?” Kennex wondered as he sat beside her again.

“No I don’t. It makes sense that those with lots of bitcoin or cash would make sure that their children were genetically engineered to have the best life possible. But it does create three classes of citizens. It sets apart chromes, naturals, and synthetics,” she remarked.

“I can understand how chromes and naturals are different. But how can you call synthetics citizens in this society? They’re property and machines,” Kennex argued.

“I agree with you but there are some people who think that synthetics should have more rights. I know a colleague at the university who teaches robotics who is a member of such a group,” Ava told him.

“I didn’t know such a group existed,” Kennex replied.

“Their views aren’t popular so they keep a low profile. They have no desire to get arrested by the police for demonstrating but they will share with you what they think if you ask them,” Ava told him.

“How did you know about this synthetics rights group in the first place?” Kennex wondered.

“Remember that I told you that Heather had set me up on a blind date before I liked your online dating profile? The man she had chosen was someone who worked in robotics at City University by the name of Trevor. That was the longest date I’ve ever endured. The only silver lining was that he didn’t try and kiss me at the end of the date but just dropped me off at my place and then drove away. Now if you’ll excuse me I should start on dinner. Are tacos OK with you?” Ava told him.

“That’s fine,” Kennex replied. It seemed that he wasn’t the only one to have a bad date recently, he thought. But he was glad that he’d now found Ava. She wasn’t perfect but at least she hadn’t holo-blocked him, he reflected. After they had eaten dinner and set aside the dishes, she turned to look at him.

“It’s dark outside now so let me show you something. Follow me,” she declared. He followed her onto the deck where there was a clear night sky above them.

“What am I looking for?” Kennex wanted to know. He knew next to nothing about astronomy.

“See where I’m pointing? Do you know what that constellation up there is?” Ava asked as she pointed to a W shape in the night sky. Kennex could see the shape but he had no idea of the name.

“No,” he admitted.

“That constellation is named Cassiopeia. According to mythology she was a vain queen who boasted about her beauty so she was punished by being forced to rotate around the north pole and cling to her throne,” Ava said as she looked up at the sky. At his silence she turned her head to look at him.

“I’m boring you aren’t I?” she realized.

“No. I mean not really,” Kennex lied. 

“I want you to be honest with me even if you think that I won’t want to hear it,” she insisted. 

“In that case let’s go inside now,” he told her. A moment later Ava took his hand and led him to the bedroom. 

“Why are we here?” Kennex asked. He knew what he hoped would happen between them but he wanted Ava to initiate things the first time. 

“I want to sleep with you tonight,” Ava replied as she put both of her hands on his waist. Emboldened he placed his own hands on her shoulders.

“You sure?” he clarified. He was eager to sleep with her but he wanted to ensure that she wouldn’t regret it afterwards.

“Yes,” she declared.

“Have you tested clean recently?” he questioned.

“Yes, and I’m one year into a five year IUD. What about you?” she wondered.

“I’m clean too. But it’s been a while for me.” he admitted.

“Me too. Do you want to use condoms? I brought some,” Ava asked.

“No,” he replied. 

“OK. John, don’t presume that I’m with you out of gratitude. I’m dating you because I like you,” she told him. He smiled.

“I like you too,” he replied. A moment later he leaned his head down as she raised her head. Soon their kiss took on a life of its own. They separated their mouths long enough so that they could shed all of their clothes. Once they were nude, Kennex guided Ava to lie down on the bed beside him. To his immense satisfaction, he soon learned that Ava was a thorough and enthusiastic lover. In turn, Kennex did his best to discover what Ava liked; what touch or kiss on her body made her gasp or moan in pleasure. After their desire had been temporarily sated by their mutual orgasms, Ava turned her head towards him.

“That was wonderful,” she stated.

“Yeah it was,” he agreed. 

“You’re not a big fan of pillow talk, huh?” she observed a moment later.

“Not anymore,” he replied bitterly. Kennex realized now that Anna had used sex as a tool to gather intelligence. He had not told her anything at first, but gradually he had talked about his work during the afterglow of their sex. Their conversations had led to the inSyndicate raid that had changed everything.

“That’s fine. I won’t be offended if you just want to fall asleep. Good night,” she stated much to his relief.

“Good night,” he responded. He rose from the bed to charge his leg and then returned to lay down beside Ava. When he woke up in the morning, he was alone in bed. Kennex found Ava in the kitchen with a cup of tea in her hands.

“Morning, Ava. Why did you leave the bed last night? Was my snoring that bad?” he asked.

“Morning, John. Your snoring didn’t bother me. I left the bed because I know that you like your space,” she admitted. He raised her chin to look him in the eyes.

“Ava, I don’t regret last night. In future, don’t feel like you have to leave,” he assured her. She smiled.

“Glad to hear it. Now would you like for breakfast?” she wondered.

“Toast and coffee is fine,” Kennex declared as he made his way to the coffee machine.

“You should eat more than that. I’ll make some scrambled eggs too if you’d like,” she offered.

“All right, but you’d better not be trying to have me gain weight with your excellent cooking,” he warned her as he made some toast.

“Not at all. After last night you should be well aware that I like your body just the way it is,” she assured him. Now it was his turn to smile.

“Do we have time to go for a walk around even part of the lake before we have to drive to the airport?” Ava changed the subject. Kennex checked his watch.

“No, I don’t think so. We only have enough time to eat and pack,” he told her.

“I see. I had a good time this weekend. This was a great way to start 2049,” Ava told him.

“I agree,” Kennex told her. They were soon on their way back to the City. During the flight back Kennex held hands with her as they sat beside each other. He admitted to himself that he was somewhat reluctant to let Ava go just yet. But he’d probably be glad to be working again soon enough, he thought as the plane landed at the City airport.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Two weeks later

Ava had only occasionally talked to John since their time at the cabin, but she knew that his job kept him busy. So when she saw her phone light up with John’s call, she thought it would him telling her that he and Dorian had wrapped up his latest case.

“Hi, John. Are you finished with your latest case?” she answered the phone.

“Ava, this is Dorian. We caught our suspect but John was hurt while we were apprehending him. He’s at St Mary’s Hospital right now,” Dorian told her. She sat up straighter.

“How bad is it?” she wanted to know.

“John was shot in the arm. He’ll recover fully but they had to perform surgery. Would you like to see him?” Dorian asked.

“Yes. When are the visiting hours of the hospital? I can’t just drop everything here at work right now,” she explained.

“I understand. The visiting hours are 1800 to 2000 hours. John’s room is 3F in the day surgery ward,” Dorian told her.

“Thanks. I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Ava said. A moment later she ended the call. Ava tried to get back to her work but she was distracted most of the rest of the day with her worry about John. She knew that this was hardly the first time he’d been injured on the job. That was just part of being a cop. But she knew her boyfriend well enough by now that Ava also knew if John was forced to do anything else, he wouldn’t be nearly as satisfied with his life. So she had no business asking him to change careers despite her worry about his personal safety, she resolved. 

As soon as she could get free from work, Ava drove to St Mary’s Hospital. Once she found the right floor she quickly made her way to the reception desk for the ward. A nurse looked up from behind the desk.

“Can I help you?” she asked Ava.

“Yes. My name is Ava White and I’m here to see John Kennex in 3F. I was told he was in this ward,” she said.

“Just let me double check for you because sometimes they move patients for tests and so forth. Yes, Mr Kennex is in that room. But he’s requested that only two people, specifically his next of kin and his police partner, can visit him right now. I’m sorry, but you can’t go in there,” she replied.

“But I’m his girlfriend. Are you telling me that he doesn’t want to see me right now?” Ava asked.

“All I know is that you’re not on the approved list of visitors for Mr Kennex. But thank you for your concern about his welfare. Do you know the way out of the hospital?” the nurse replied.

“I can find it. Good evening,” she replied. Ava wasn’t in any mood to be polite at that moment, but her mom had raised her to be polite in spite of her emotions. Besides, it wasn’t the nurse’s fault that she couldn’t see John, Ava thought as she waited for the elevator. Once the elevator arrived, the door opened and Dorian stepped off.

“Hello, Ava. How are you?” he asked in greeting.

“Hello, Dorian. Are you here to see John?” she asked. 

“Yes I am. How is he doing?” Dorian asked.

“I don’t know because they won’t let me see him,” she stated.

“You care a lot for John don’t you?” Dorian asked as he looked at her more closely. Ava looked down at the floor briefly.

“Yes I do. But perhaps I care more than I should,” she realized.

“What do you mean by that?” Dorian wondered. She raised her head to look at him.

“I’ve noticed that John only lets me into his life so far and then I seem to run into a thick metal wall,” she told him. If anyone could relate to John’s behaviour it was his police partner, she thought. Dorian probably knew John much better than she did, Ava suspected.

“John doesn’t trust anyone easily. Don’t take it personally,” he told her.

“I don’t. I’ve learned to live with him maintaining some distance between us because I’d rather have some of John in my life than not be with him at all. Anyways, I need to get back home now,” she replied.

“Can I tell John that you tried to visit him tonight?” Dorian wondered. She smiled at him briefly.

“I’d appreciate that. Have a good evening, Dorian,” she told him.

“Same to you, Ava,” Dorian said. While Dorian walked towards the reception desk, Ava made her way back to the elevator. She’d talk to John once he got released from hospital, she resolved. Right now she was tired and just wanted to have an early night, she thought.

Three days later was when Ava next saw John. He’d come over to her place and she had ordered Thai take out. Once they had both finished eating, Ava pushed the cartons and utensils aside and looked at him more closely.

“So are you feeling any better now?” she asked. She knew from Dorian that he had started working again yesterday.

“Yeah, my arm is almost as good as new. Sorry that you couldn’t visit me in the hospital. Dorian told me that you came by,” John answered as he looked at her.

“Do you dislike all visitors or do you only want cops to visit you?” she wondered.

“I just didn’t want to upset you, that’s all. After all, I get injured more than I’d like,” he told her.

“I don’t get upset by injuries easily. Can I ask you a personal question?” Ava wondered.

“Sure,” he agreed.

“I understand that you value privacy and like to live alone. I prefer to live alone myself. But is there any other reason that you haven’t invited me to your place?” she wondered. 

“Of course not. I’m not hiding anything from you,” he swiftly told her. She narrowed her eyes slightly. If that was the case, than why did he still not trust her? Dorian was right that John didn’t trust easily, she thought. Wait a minute. John said that Dorian had told him of her visit to the hospital. Had Dorian also told John what the two of them had talked about in the hospital, she wondered.

“What?” John asked in response to her silence.

“Dorian told you what I said to him in the hospital, didn’t he?” she guessed.

“Yes. Was he not supposed to tell me?” John wondered.

“No he wasn’t, because I was thinking out loud. I know you don’t like to talk about your feelings and so the last thing I wanted to do was send you running if I did that,” she told him.

“Hey, I have no problems talking about my feelings,” John protested.

“I beg to differ. Tell me, is the example of the emotionless MXs you work with rubbing off of you?” she wondered.

“I hate MXs. If I had my way I’d shoot them all in the face,” John declared.

“You shot a MX in the face?” she exclaimed in astonishment.

“The MX was insulting Dorian,” he stated as if that was enough justification.

“I’m glad that Dorian has your back. But I do know that you’ll always be closer to him than you could ever allow yourself to be with me,” Ava stated.

“What do you mean by that?” he wanted to know.

“Intimacy is about more than doing activities together, having a conversation, or sex. It’s also about vulnerability and openness, neither of which you like,” she informed him.

“That’s enough. You’re not my therapist,” John declared as he stood up from the table. She stood up as well and than turned to face him.

“No I’m not. I’m not in this relationship to change you. But sooner or later, you’ll have to decide for yourself if you want to let go of your past or forever let it define who you are,” Ava declared. Before he could reply to that she walked swiftly towards her front hall closet and grabbed a jacket.

“Where are you going? You don’t have to leave,” he protested as he followed her.

“Yes I do. Arguing with you is a waste of my time when you have your mind made up,” Ava insisted as she put on her shoes and grabbed her purse.

“So you’re just going to walk out on me instead?” he snapped.

“Yes I am. By the time I come back I want you out of my house, or I’ll call Dorian and ask him to make you leave,” she concluded. Before John could reply, Ava had swiftly left her house. She briskly began to walk around the neighbourhood in an attempt to calm down. By the time she had returned to her house half an hour later, John had left. Ava was glad of it. She’d had enough of emotionally unavailable men at the moment, she thought as she settled into the couch. 

There must be a reason John was so closed off, and Ava suspected it had to with his synthetic leg. Had John received it by being injured in the line of duty, she wondered. She walked to her office and started up the computer on the desk. She typed major gang attacks 2045-2048 in the City into the internet search engine. Given the high crime rates and numerous gangs in the City, there were multiple hits which didn’t surprise her. But Ava was looking for an incident that more than one news outlet had covered. On the fifth page of search results, she clicked on a promising link. She read the article on the screen:

March 15, 2046  
Police Raid Turns Tragic  
William Wong   
AP News

Yesterday, a police team in the City led by Detective John Kennex raided one of the main warehouses of inSyndicate, a major criminal organization. Details of the incident are still being investigated by police, but we can verify that all twenty MX units were destroyed and all eleven human police officers were killed except for Detective Kennex. Detective Kennex remains in hospital in serious condition. 

When Captain Sandra Maldonado, Detective Kennex’s superior officer, was asked whether the knowledge of the raid could have been learned beforehand by inSyndicate, she had no comment. Further developments on this breaking news story will be forthcoming.

Annoyed at the fact that article had almost no information, Ava clicked on the related link below the article which read as follows:

March 15, 2046  
Another Police Raid Unsuccessful  
Natalie Young  
New York Times

The high crime rate in the City is well known among its residents. Various gangs and criminal organizations overwhelm the limited resources of the local police force. Perhaps that is why the latest police incident yesterday in the City ended in failure. Detective John Kennex was the leader of a team that raided one of the main facilities of inSyndicate, a major criminal organization. During the raid, all human police officers were killed and all MX units were destroyed, with the sole exception of Detective Kennex. He remains in hospital in serious condition.

When asked how such a regrettable incident could have occurred, Captain Sandra Maldonado, Detective Kennex’s superior officer, had no comment. Detective Kennex’s record until now has been excellent, so why this failure happened remains unclear. Was Detective Kennex or another member of the team coerced into revealing police information that allowed inSyndicate to prepare for the raid? Do inSyndicate have members working as police officers? Can the safety of everyone in the City be trusted to police officers who cannot control the criminal activity in their own back yard? For the safety and security of everyone who call the City home, these vital questions must be answered.

After she read that article, Ava shut down her computer and sat back in the office chair. ‘Well, that explains a lot about John,’ she thought. Should she confront John with her knowledge, she wondered. No, she decided. He would immediately tell her nothing and would also be annoyed at her for prying into his past. Perhaps it was best to remain quiet and not let him know what she had learned tonight. She yawned. She would go to bed early tonight, Ava decided.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays everyone. This will be my last chapter posting in 2020. I will resume posting in January 2021.

Chapter Nine

As he drove away from Ava’s house, Kennex still felt angry. He admitted to himself that her observation to Dorian about him maintaining some distance between them was accurate. He never talked about the details of any of the specific cases he was investigating with Ava. He’d made that mistake with Anna and he wasn’t about to repeat it again. Kennex never visited her at the university just as she never came to see him at the precinct. They only saw each other on their dates aside from the occasional phone or video call. He’d never invited her to his place and he had never stayed the entire night at her house. Ava seemed to accept the divide between his professional and personal life and he appreciated that she wasn’t clingy. Besides, who could blame him for not wiling to be open after what Anna had done to him? Kennex never wanted to let another woman get as close to him as she had.

But how dare Ava accuse him of disliking talking about his feelings, he thought. The only thing in his life right now that was being repressed were his memories. After he’d crashed his car and injured Dorian under the influence of Membliss, he’d decided that it would be best to stop taking the drug and also take a break from visiting the recollectionist. If Sandra was right, then his memories of Anna and the raid would return on their own. But it had been months now and they hadn’t returned. Perhaps it was time for another visit to the recollectionist now, he decided. It didn’t take him long to drive to the Koln Avenue District. He only knocked briefly on the door of the recollectionist before he went inside. 

“John, I wasn’t expecting to see you here again. The last time we talked, you told me that you were going to let your memories return on their own,” the recollectionist said as Kennex closed the door and then removed his jacket.

“Yeah, but I haven’t remembered anything new since then. I need to remember everything I can before I let it go,” he admitted as he walked closer to the chair.

“You know there’s a good chance that you might never remember all of your memories of the raid or of your ex-girlfriend,” the recollectionist told him.

“Yes, but I still want to try,” Kennex said as he lay down in the chair.

“Give me a minute to get set up,” the recollectionist replied. He made some adjustments to the machine then placed the sensors on Kennex’s temples. Kennex swallowed the white pill and then his arms were strapped down beside him. A moment later the machine started and he closed his eyes.

Kennex saw himself and Anna as they sat in his police car. She pulled out a narrow black box and wished him happy birthday. He opened the box to find a St Christopher pendant with an A engraved on the back. He’d told her that if he wore this around the precinct, than all of the other cops would give him a hard time. She’d told him that instead he should hang it in his car so that he had something to remind him of her wherever he went. They leaned in closer and kissed each other. A moment later Kennex opened his eyes as the memory abruptly ended. He sat up slowly.

“What did you see?” asked the recollectionist as he removed the sensors from Kennex. 

“This time I remembered a birthday gift from my ex-girlfriend,” Kennex replied. He nodded to the recollectionist in thanks, put on his jacket, and then made his way back to his car. The pendant was the fist thing he saw once he sat down in the drivers seat. Surely this gift was innocuous, he wondered as he turned it over in his hands. Then Kennex remembered the nesting doll in his apartment that Anna had given him. After lab testing that doll had turned out to be a listening device. What if there was tech hidden inside this pendant too? He quickly drove to the police lab, determined to find out.

“McGinnis, how are you?” Kennex greeted the CSI technician. 

“You’re up late, detective. What do you want now?” she asked. He pulled out the pendant from his pocket and set it on the table.

“I want you to scan this for DNA, fingerprints, and any tech. File it with the other inSyndicate evidence. Keep it off the books like the nesting doll,” he told her.

“All right. But I just hope that someone will pay my overtime again,” McGinnis stated as she pulled on a new set of gloves.

“I’ll see to it. Thanks,” Kennex replied as he left the police lab.

The next morning Kennex was about twenty minutes late to pick up Dorian from Rudy’s for their shift. He’d hit the snooze button twice on his alarm clock until he’d finally got out of bed.

“Morning, John. You’re late again,” Dorian greeted him. John said nothing as they walked to the car.

“Where did the St Christopher pendant go?” Dorian wanted to know as he looked around the interior of the car as Kennex drove.

“That’s none of your business,” Kennex told him.

“Why did you turn off your locator chip after you left Ava’s house last night?” Dorian asked him.

“That’s also none of your business,” Kennex warned him. Dorian looked at him more closely than out of the front passenger window of the car.

“Given your mood today I’d say you had a fight with your girlfriend last night,” Dorian stated.

“Did you run a bio scan of me just now?” Kennex wondered.

“No, but I didn’t need to in order to notice the difference between now and the last time we spoke,” Dorian observed.

“Fine. Since you really want to know, Ava and I had a fight because of you,” Kennex told Dorian.

“What did I do?” wondered Dorian. 

“Ava was mad that you had told me what she said to you in the hospital,” Kennex explained.

“Was I supposed to remain quiet about that conversation? My bad. Do you want to talk about it?” Dorian wondered.

“Ava thinks that I’m hiding something because I haven’t invited her to my place yet. She also thinks that I don’t like talking about my feelings and that I’m not willing to be vulnerable around her,” Kennex replied.

“Morose does tend to be your dominant mood and you do have trust issues,” Dorian observed. Kennex sent him a dark glare at that.

“Well, Ava has a tendency to run from her problems rather than face them,” he snapped.

“Sooner or later you’ll have to decide if your girlfriend’s flaws are worth living with or not because no one is perfect. The ideal woman you once described to me doesn’t exist in reality,” Dorian remarked.

“Yeah, I’ve figured that much out,” Kennex replied. Before Dorian could respond to that, dispatch alerted them to a multiple homicide five blocks away. Kennex told Dorian to show them as responding.

After their shift had ended that day, Kennex drove Dorian to Rudy’s. During the drive he looked over at his partner.

“Not that I mind, but you’ve been quieter than normal today. What are you thinking about?” he wondered.

“I was reflecting on the fact that we never know when we are going to die, just like those gang members we found murdered this morning. Given that our time is limited, you should go apologize to Ava,” suggested Dorian.

“Why? She started the argument not me,” Kennex protested.

“John, you’re lost your temper with a lot more regularity than normal today. Do you want me to include that in my latest report of your wellbeing to Captain Maldonado?” Dorian threatened.

“No. Fine. I’ll go talk to Ava tomorrow. If I wake her up now, she’ll be even more pissed off,” Kennex said.

“Might I suggest bringing her some flowers too?” Dorian suggested.

“No, Ava doesn’t like flowers,” Kennex replied.

“Good night, John,” Dorian said once Kennex had pulled up in front of Rudy’s. Dorian got out of the car and then went inside. 

After his shift the next day, Kennex drove straight to Ava’s house. Kennex pressed his thumb against the biolock on Ava’s front door. A moment later the light underneath the biolock changed from red to yellow. He knew that meant that Ava was viewing the video feed of the door.

“John, what are you doing here?” came Ava’s voice through the small speaker on the biolock.

“Ava, are you going to let me in or am I going to have to apologize through your locked door?” Kennex wondered.

“Give me a minute,” Ava replied. A few moments later, the yellow light on the biolock changed to a green one. Kennex opened the now unlocked door and walked inside. He closed the door behind him a moment later. In the hallway Ava walked closer to him. She wore a long sleeved shirt and loose ankle length pants with no socks. Her arms were crossed over her chest.

“Follow me to the living room, then we can talk,” she said. As he walked into the living room Kennex saw Patrick lying on a dog bed in front of the window that looked out onto the street. She motioned towards the couch for him to sit. He did so but he did not sit down right beside her.

“Well, what do you have to say?” she began.

“You were right that I’m not good at being vulnerable. But you said that you don’t want to change me. So is it possible that you can accept me as I am?” Kennex replied. Ava took a deep breath and then turned to look at him.

“I do like you the way you are. I’m sorry about my fight with you the other day. My ex-boyfriend Seamus lied about his behaviour all the time and then when it came to light he dismissed my objections as unimportant. That’s why I’m so sensitive about you not being open with me; it’s because I fear that you are hiding something from me. I know that you aren’t because you’re an honest man, but it’s sometimes hard for me to believe that when you’ve only let me partially into your life,” she explained.

“I’m not sure if I believe in a happily ever after anymore. But I do care about you and I’ve enjoyed the time we’ve spent together,” Kennex admitted.

“I care about you too and I want to continue being with you,” Ava told him. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Glad to hear that. I don’t suppose I could stay the night?” he wondered. She smiled. 

“Unfortunately, I need to get back to marking essays. Unless you have anything productive to say about the history of the telephone?”

“Not really. Good night, Ava,” he replied as they both stood. 

“Good night, John,” she concluded. She turned and walked back to her home office. Kennex left her house and drove back to his own place. Tonight had proven what he’d once told Dorian; namely that human connection was messy. He was never going to invite anyone to live with him again after Anna, he resolved. But perhaps it was time that he was a little more open around his girlfriend. He wanted to be himself around her but he also didn’t want her to think that he was not being honest with her. 

That brought to mind his mandatory weekly anger management class. He had told the doctor there that he felt great. She had urged him to be honest about his feelings but he knew that the doctor was reporting to Maldonado about his mental state. So what else was he supposed to say to her, Kennex wondered. He was about to go to bed when he saw his video phone flash blue with an incoming call. He tapped the answer button which expanded the video screen to show McGinnis inside the police lab.

“Hello, detective. I found tech embedded inside this pendant,” she got right to the point.

“What was it?” Kennex wanted to know.

“I found a miniature camera inside that uses nano circuitry. A picture was taken once every hour, then the image was uploaded to the cloud where it was heavily encrypted. There were no images from two hours after the raid until the day you returned to work, when the images resume being uploaded. The last image from the pendant was uploaded 10 hours ago,” she explained. He nodded in understanding. Rudy might be able to help him find the device used to access these images or the server where they were stored, but Kennex doubted he’d also be able to keep his investigation quiet. Despite his skills as a former hacker, Rudy might not find anything anyways. If inSyndicate knew the pendant was now in police evidence, they would delete all of the images. So that line of investigation was likely a dead end, Kennex reluctantly decided.

“How did the police miss the pendant after the raid?” he wanted to know.

“Your apartment was swept by the police before you were reinstated, but not your car. Was there anything else, detective?” she asked.

“No. Good night,” he told her.

“Good night,” she replied. A moment later the video call ended. This was just more proof that Anna couldn’t be trusted. Though he didn’t need any more evidence of that, Kennex thought bitterly as he got ready for bed.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Ten days later

Kennex strolled with Ava along the waterfront close to Pier 12 as they held hands. They’d gone to see a play downtown earlier in the evening. He’d suggested taking her home afterwards but as it was a mild night, Ava had suggested walking for a while beforehand.

“So tell me. When did you get the dragon tattoo on your arm?” she asked him.

“I got the dragon tattoo during my time at the police academy. I was trying to impress a woman who was training to be an intelligence analyst,” Kennex explained.

“Did it work?” she wondered.

“It got me a date with her but our relationship didn’t last long,” Kennex admitted.

“I see. So I’ve noticed you wear a bracelet and a necklace often. I have no objection to men wearing jewellery but I am curious if they have any meaning to you,” Ava observed.

“Not really. I just saw them in a store and liked them so I bought them,” Kennex explained.

“Speaking of jewellery, what happened to the pendant hanging in your car?” Ava wondered.

“I was reminded recently that pendant was a gift from my ex-girlfriend, so I threw it away. If I’m going to have anything in my car, I’d rather have something to remind me of you instead,” Kennex said. Before she could reply, Ava was abruptly shoved away from him by a passerby. Kennex saw the thief grab Ava’s purse and then began to run away. He quickly glanced at his girlfriend but she seemed unhurt.

“Stop! Police!” Kennex shouted as he chased after the thief. Whoever this man was they were fast, Kennex realized quickly. Or maybe he just needed to go running more regularly himself, he thought. He’d almost reached the thief when the younger man jumped aboard a boat at the pier and started it up. Before he could even think of jumping on board, the rope that acted as an anchor to the dock had been cut and the boat raced away. Kennex sighed. He hated the fact that there was so much crime in the City that he couldn’t catch all of the criminals. Though the high crime rate at least meant that he would always have a job, Kennex reflected as he returned to where he had left Ava. She was now talking to a MX.

“Do you have any further questions?” she asked the MX.

“I have no further questions for you, Miss White. Detective Kennex, can you give me a description of this theft?” the MX asked him. Kennex told him briefly what had happened. The MX wanted them both to come into the station to give a formal statement but Kennex was able to convince the MX that an incident report would suffice instead.

“Come on, Ava. I’ll drive you home,” he offered after the MX had left. She nodded. Once they were in his car, Ava turned her head to look at him.

“John, why did you chase after that thief?” she asked him. Kennex was surprised at the question.

“Because I’m a cop,” he answered. Why wouldn’t he chase after a criminal even when he was off duty, he wondered.

“I’m not about to ask you to stop being a cop because I know how much that job means to you. But please try not to take any unnecessary risks for my sake. I’d hate to get a call or receive a visit from your fellow officers telling me that you’d been killed,” Ava requested.

“That won’t happen,” Kennex assured her.

“You can’t promise me that because being a cop is dangerous. When you were shot in the arm and had to go to the hospital, I knew that you’d be OK. But I was worried that next time it would be something more serious,” she told him.

“I appreciate your concern. But I can take care of myself,” he told her.

“I hope so,” she declared. The two of them fell silent for the rest of the drive back to her house. Kennex walked her to her front door. Once they were in front of her door Ava turned to him. 

“Good night, John,” she told him.

“Good night, Ava,” he replied then kissed her on the cheek. She smiled at him then turned to go inside her house. Once she had closed the door behind her, Kennex swiftly left to head back to his own place. While he did have to leave Ava in order to charge his leg overnight at his apartment, he also didn’t feel ready to sleep with or have sex with Ava without his synthetic leg attached yet. Kennex wasn’t sure whether Ava would still find him handsome with only one leg. Perhaps that question was better left unanswered, he decided. 

“Morning, John. So how is Ava after her purse was stolen last night on your date?” Dorian asked as Kennex drove to work the next morning.

“I need to get my locator chip removed,” grumbled Kennex. Dorian knew far too much for his own personal comfort with that tech, he thought.

“You know that’s required tech for all cops,” Dorian replied.

“Unfortunately so,” complained Kennex. Though his locator chip had saved his life before, so it wasn’t entirely useless, Kennex thought.

“Homicide in the alley between 34th Ave and Pine Street,” came a call from dispatch through the car radio a moment later.

“That’s only a few blocks away. Show us responding,” Kennex replied then drove towards the scene.

“So who is the victim?” Kennex asked once they were past the holographic police tape.

“Detective Kennex, the victim’s name was Seamus Brogan. He was 36 years old and his profession was that of a dog breeder, specifically the breed of Irish wolfhounds. There is a 82.64% probability that he would have died of liver cancer in the next five years if he had not been shot once in the chest at point blank range with an automatic pistol,” a MX on the scene informed them as he handed the case file to Dorian.

“In other words, Brogan was an alcoholic,” Kennex stated.

“Affirmative,” the MX confirmed.

“John, we can’t investigate this case or rather you can’t,” Dorian objected as he read the case file. Kennex looked at Dorian in surprise.

“Why not?” he asked. They didn’t have any other outstanding cases at the moment.

“Because Seamus Brogan was Ava White’s boyfriend a decade ago. It goes against all police protocol for you to be involved in this case,” Dorian informed him.

“Oh. Fine. Send the case file to Detective Paul’s MX and request for Paul to be the investigating officer on this case. Once he arrives on the scene, we can get back to the precinct,” Kennex told Dorian. He would have preferred for Detective Stahl to take the lead on this case but he knew that she’d booked some time at the shooting range today. While they waited for Paul and his MX to arrive on the scene, Kennex and Dorian moved out of the way of the police that were already there.

“John, did Ava discuss her prior relationship with Seamus with you?” Dorian wondered.

“She told me that her relationship with Seamus ended badly and that he lied to her regularly. But she never told me his last name and I certainly never expected to meet him dead or alive,” Kennex admitted.

“You didn’t press her for more details about the relationship because you didn’t want to talk about Anna in return, did you?” Dorian questioned.

“No, I didn’t,” Kennex replied.

“Kennex, why do you want me to be the investigating officer on this case?” Paul asked Kennex as he and his MX walked closer to the crime scene.

“Because the victim had a prior romantic relationship with Ava White,” Dorian informed Paul.

“So?” the other cop asked.

“I’m dating Ava White right now,” Kennex admitted. Only Dorian and Sandra knew about his relationship with Ava so far. Frankly he would have preferred to have it remain that way. Now he knew the entire precinct would soon find out thanks to Paul.

“So your current girlfriend used to date this dead guy? Well, at least she’s consistent when it comes to her taste in men. But then a woman would have to desperate to date you,” observed Paul.

“Likewise. After all, you’ve only been with sex bots since your ex-wife moved away, haven’t you?” replied Kennex.

“Tell your girlfriend to come into the precinct for questioning as soon as possible. Otherwise I’ll track her down myself. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an investigation to run. Why don’t you go and eat some donuts at your desk?” said Paul.

“Come on, Dorian,” Kennex said. They quickly left the crime scene.

“John, why are you following police protocol this time when you have a tendency to break the rules?” Dorian wondered once they were on their way back to the precinct.

“Because I know that some rules are meant to be broken while breaking others will just piss Maldonado off. Sandra is my friend, but she’s also my boss,” Kennex answered.

“Fair enough,” Dorian replied.

After his shift that day, Kennex decided to visit Ava as he wanted answers from her about Seamus. It didn’t take him long before he was speaking into her biolock.

“Hi, Ava. Can I come in?” he requested. Her front door unlocked a moment later. Kennex stepped through the door than closed it behind him. Ava gestured for him to follow her to the living room. They sat down beside each other on the couch.

“So, I imagine you know that your ex-boyfriend was found dead today,” he stated. She nodded tersely.

“I owe you an apology for not telling you more about Seamus earlier. To be honest, falling in love with him was the biggest mistake of my life and so I wanted to leave it in the past,” she explained. 

“I can understand that. So how did you meet Seamus?” Kennex wondered.

“Seamus and I were both members of a history club at the University of Washington. When he was sober, Seamus was witty, charming, and smart. That was the man I fell in love with. But Seamus was a different man after a few drinks. He became cruel, vindictive, and angry with anyone in his vicinity,” Ava told him.

“So why did you break up?” he asked.

“We broke up after Seamus started a bar fight that ended with the EMTs and police being called in. That was the last straw for me. After that I knew he didn’t want to change. Alcohol was ruining his life but I couldn’t stand by and watch that anymore, so I left him. A week after I’d broken up with him, I heard that Seamus was back in another bar drinking again,” Ava recalled.

“It sounds like you should never have fallen in love with him in the first place,” Kennex remarked.

“I realize that now. The only good thing to come from our relationship was Patrick. Seamus gave him to me as a gift on our first anniversary. After our relationship ended, I considered giving him up but we’d gotten so attached to each other by then that I couldn’t bring myself to part with him. Though I suspect that I’m not the first person who has done stupid things for love,” she said as she looked at her dog.

“I can’t speak for anyone else but I certainly regret dating my ex-girlfriend,” Kennex admitted.

“Is that why you have never gone into details about her?” Ava wanted to know.

“Yeah. But I’m glad I’ve found you,” he told her. She smiled at him.

“Same here. Can I ask you something?” she questioned.

“Sure,” he replied.

“Detective Paul and his MX partner questioned me about Seamus but he was also pretty snide about you. Why don’t the two of you get along?” she asked. 

“It’s a long story. But I’m not the only one at the station that doesn’t like him. Both Dorian and Detective Stahl don’t like Paul,” he explained.

“Well, there are difficult coworkers in every job,” she stated.

“True enough. I’d better go now,” Kennex said as he stood.

“Before you go, aren’t you going to give me a kiss goodnight?” she wondered as she placed her hands on his shoulders.

“Gladly,” Kennex replied. He stepped closer to Ava and pulled her against his body before he kissed her.

“Good night, John,” she declared once they had separated for air.

“Good night, Ava,” he replied. Kennex took a final look at his girlfriend before he turned and went back to his own place.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

One month later

“That was a good movie,” remarked Kennex as the credits rolled. He was with Ava during a date at her place. They had eaten Chinese takeout and then watched a movie on the couch with popcorn and drinks. Ava moved away from his side and rose to grab the empty plates and cups.

“Yeah, it wasn’t bad,” she agreed. He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she loaded the dishes into the dishwasher. When she was done she turned around to face him.   
“Can I ask you something?” she wondered.

“Go ahead,” he offered.

“You seem distracted tonight. Is everything all right?” she wanted to know. He knew that he hadn’t said much tonight, but he hadn’t realized that Ava had noticed that.

“I’m fine. It’s just that Dorian was very quiet today. When I asked him why, he said he’d promised not to talk about it. It’s not like Dorian to be so evasive,” he explained.

“Perhaps Dorian is aware that some things should be left in the past,” she remarked. He tilted his head slightly.

“No, that doesn’t sound like him. But how would you know? You barely know Dorian,” he stated in confusion.

“True enough,” she conceded. He frowned. Something in the tone of her voice made him suspicious there was something more going on here.

“Is there something you aren’t telling me?” he asked her.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” was her quick response.

“What are you hiding?” he wondered. She frowned.

“I’m not hiding anything. Don’t try to interrogate me,” she said as she placed her hands on her hips.

“Why are you so defensive if you have nothing to hide?” he demanded.

“Because you wouldn’t like what I have to say,” she told him.

“Let me be the judge of that,” he stated. He tried not to let his mind race over the worst case scenarios of what she might say to him.

“Fine,” Ava conceded. She took a deep breath and looked up to meet his eyes before she continued.

“My friend Tom was visiting the other day because a modern art gallery in the City was exhibiting a retrospective of his work. Tom invited me to the opening gala last night. I found Dorian there because he claimed his roommate Rudy was doing some chemical experiment that smelled noxious and so he decided to go elsewhere that evening. I’m a subject of one of Tom’s paintings and Dorian saw that portrait. I asked him not to tell you about it. That’s it,” she explained. He tried not to breath a sigh of relief that she wasn’t leaving him.

“Why are you self conscious about posing for a painting? Unless it’s a nude painting,” he wondered.

“I wasn’t nude. I was wearing a red sheet,” she protested.

“So you let a stranger paint your semi-nude body?” he asked incredulously.

“Yes, because I needed the money. Can you understand that?” she replied.

“Not really because I’ve never been into art. But it could be worse,” he remarked.

“Yeah. After all, it’s not like I’m secretly a criminal or that I am cheating on you,” she responded. From the tone of her voice he could tell Ava was joking, but even so Kennex disliked the reminder of Anna. She saw his expression and frowned. Did Ava know how close to the truth she had come, wondered Kennex.

“Do you truly think that I am capable of such deception?” Ava demanded. He raised his hands defensively.

“I didn’t say that. Don’t put words in my mouth,” he objected.

“Look, I understand that you encounter people who lie all the time. But that doesn’t mean you can’t trust me,” she insisted.

“You wouldn’t understand,” he assured her. She folded her arms across her chest.

“Try me,” she challenged him.

“I can’t talk about it,” he snapped. She stared at him a long moment before she looked away.

“Fine. It’s getting late. You should get back to your place and charge your leg,” she stated with resignation. 

“OK. See you later, Ava,” he replied.

“Good night, John,” she concluded. 

He nodded and left her place for his own. Not being open about his life had become a habit since waking up from his coma and he wasn’t about to change that if he could help it, he thought. Kennex had learned to trust Dorian, but that had taken time. Dorian would never be what Pelham was to him but Kennex was grateful that Maldonado had put them together. Though he would never tell Dorian that, Kennex decided. If he did, he’d never hear the end of it from his partner.

The next day after his shift was over, Kennex headed over to Tom’s art exhibition. It didn’t take him long before he found the painting of Ava. She lay on her back on a black chaise lounge. Her legs were spread apart while her arms rested on either side of her head with her elbows bent so her fingers touched each other. There was nothing overtly sexual about the pose as a red sheet covered her body from her breasts to her knees and draped on either side of the chaise lounge. Ava’s head was turned toward the right and her gaze was contemplative, as if asking the viewer what they thought of what they were seeing. Kennex hadn’t been looking at the painting long when he heard someone stop beside him. He turned his head and saw Dorian who stood beside him.

“What are you doing here?” he wondered.

“What do you think of the painting?” his partner questioned.

“My opinion is rather biased, but I think it’s beautiful,” John remarked.

“Ava is quite attractive. But that is where the similarities between your current girlfriend and your ex-girlfriend end,” stated Dorian as if he knew that Kennex was comparing the two women in his mind.

“I ran a background check on Ava before our first date and she was clean. But than again, so was Anna,” remarked Kennex.

“Anna made an effort to specifically meet you in order to extract information. But your meeting Ava was different. It was a coincidence that she was kidnapped in your district of the City,” Dorian said.

“You’re probably right. But I just can’t let my guard down entirely. The last time I did my entire team was killed. That can never happen again,” he declared.

“It’s only a matter of time before we find all of the members of inSyndicate,” noted Dorian.

“I know. Anyway, I should get back home. Do you need a ride to Rudy’s lab?” Kennex changed the subject.

“Well, if you’re offering…,” Dorian replied. The car ride to Rudy’s was silent but it was a comfortable silence. Kennex appreciated that although Dorian was usually talkative he could also be quiet if he sensed that Kennex really didn’t want to talk.

“Good night, John,” Dorian replied before he got out of the car.

“Good night, Dorian,” Kennex stated. Once Dorian had entered Rudy’s lab, he turned the car around and drove back to his place. Once he got there, he decided to give Ava a video call before bed. The screen turned on a moment later and he saw Ava.

“Hey Ava, how are you?” he asked.

“I’m fine, John. But I owe you an apology for last night. I know there are things you can’t talk about and yet I still pressed you for details. I’m sorry for being so inquisitive,” she apologized.

“You’re right that there are things I can’t talk about, but you shouldn’t apologize for asking. I’m glad that you want to get to know me better,” he replied.

“So have you seen my painting?” Ava asked as she changed the subject.

“Yeah. You have nothing to be self conscious about. You’re beautiful,” he told her. Ava blushed and looked away.

“You’re quite the charmer,” she stated.

“Why do you do that?” he wondered. She looked back up to meet his eyes.

“Do what?” she asked in confusion.

“Why do you refuse to believe how attractive you are?” he questioned her. Ava sighed.

“As a child, I learned quickly that my dad cared more about his business than me or my mom. But what I didn’t know until after he was killed is that he never wanted kids in the first place. Amelia told me after he died that my dad only agreed to have children in order to make my mom happy. But soon after I was born, my mom was diagnosed with postpartum depression. My dad had no idea how to raise me and so my uncle Thomas moved in with us and helped out until my mom felt better. My mom slowly recovered and began to take more of an interest in my life, but my dad never did. I suppose that’s why I never really considered myself very attractive to other men. If I couldn’t even gain the attention of my father, than I figured I had no chance of gaining the attention of any of the boys at school. Shortly after I started university, I was swept off my feet by Seamus. But when our relationship ended, I resolved to focus on my career instead. At least my teaching skills wouldn’t disappoint me like a man could. I’d nearly forgotten what it meant to be in a romantic relationship by the time I put up my online dating profile. But even than, I did that to get Heather off my back so she wouldn’t arrange another blind date for me. I never expected you to be interested in dating me but I’m glad you’ve stuck around so far,” she explained.

“Looks aren’t the only thing that matter to me, but I think you’re very attractive inside and out,” Kennex assured her. Ava smiled slightly.

“Thanks. You’re a good man yourself,” she replied.

“It’s late. I should let you get some sleep,” Kennex answered as he saw the time displayed in the corner of the screen.

“Good night, John,” she concluded.

“Good night, Ava,” he said. A moment later the call ended. Kennex walked to the bedroom. Ava’s explanation made a lot of sense to him. From that point on, Kennex resolved that he would do his best to convince Ava that he wasn’t going anywhere. He wasn’t about to emotionally abandon Ava like her father had, even though being vulnerable didn’t come easily to him, he decided.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Three months later

When he opened the front door to Ava’s house for their date, Kennex was momentarily struck speechless. Ava wore a close fitting strapless ankle length green gown and a black short-sleeve waist length jacket. Her outfit was completed with black one inch heels and grey makeup. She carried a small black leather clutch in her right hand. He wore a navy blue suit with a grey dress shirt and no tie with black dress shoes and a black ankle length coat. That was much more formal then what he usually wore on their dates, but tonight was a special occasion. 

“You look beautiful,” he complimented her.

“Thank you. You look quite handsome yourself. Shall we go?” she replied. He nodded and they made his way to his car. They had been dating for six months now and Kennex had picked a fancy restaurant downtown tonight to mark the occasion. Kennex knew that most women wouldn’t have had the patience that Ava had shown him so far, so he was very happy that she was still his girlfriend. He had requested that no gifts be exchanged between them tonight because Ava herself was all he wanted. He also remembered what Anna’s gifts to him had hidden and he didn’t want to repeat that experience. Once they were seated and had ordered their meal he placed his right hand over her own.

“I’m sorry about Patrick’s recent death. I know how much that dog meant to you,” he stated.

“Thanks for your sympathy. Unfortunately Patrick was eleven years old and Irish wolfhounds don’t tend to be a long lived breed,” she replied.

“Will you be getting another dog?” he wondered.

“Not right away but maybe in the future I will,” she responded.

They had just finished their appetizers when the hostess that had seated them approached their table. She held out an envelope to Ava.

“I have something for you here,” she said. Kennex looked at the woman in surprise. 

“Who is it from?” Ava demanded.

“A man with dark hair delivered it,” the hostess told them.

“I see,” replied Ava. She took the envelope and opened it. A moment laster she frowned as she read the electronic paper. Then she swiftly handed the electronic paper to him.

“John, you should read this,” she insisted. He took the electronic paper and read the following written in red:

You’ll be next Ava. 

Kennex paled. Was this note the work of inSyndicate, he wondered. Had they been the ones behind the death of Seamus? Paul had never established a clear motive for that death, but perhaps it was meant as a message from inSyndicate to Ava that no one was safe from their reach. He would do everything to make sure his girlfriend didn’t meet the same fate as her ex-boyfriend, he decided.

“Follow me, Ava,” he declared after he had put the electronic paper back into the envelope. He immediately walked towards the front of the restaurant where the hostess stood.

“Is everything all right, sir?” she asked.

“Do you have cameras inside this restaurant?” he asked the hostess.

“Yes, but I can only show that footage to the police,” she protested. Kennex put away the envelope in his pocket and then pulled out his badge.

“I am the police. Now show me the footage,” he insisted. She nodded.

“Follow me. Here you go. This is the last ten minutes, detective,” she replied after they had walked to a small office at the back of the restaurant. The hostess placed her hand on the screen which activated the camera footage.

“Thanks. Now leave us alone,” Kennex demanded. The hostess quickly left the room and closed the door of the office behind her.

“Facial recognition identifies the man who delivered the envelope as Daniel Sala,” Ava observed as they both looked at the footage.

“That’s the same man who stole your purse on our date,” Kennex realized as he looked at the image more closely.

“As I recall, when my purse was stolen it contained my wallet, my phone, and my bitcoin stick in it. Sala could have used that in order to track me even though I’ve replaced everything since then,” Ava stated.

“Have you noticed a drone following you recently?” he asked.

“No. I haven’t noticed anyone I didn’t recognize following me either. But what criminal organizations in the City know about our relationship?” she wanted to know. He stared at her in surprise for a moment.

“Why do you ask that?” he wanted to know.

“Because if a criminal gang uses the threat of harm against me to distract you from a case, they might just get away. That explains why you’ve never discussed the specifics of any of your investigations with me,” she explained. Ava really did pay close attention to details, thought Kennex with a mixture of admiration and annoyance.

“Right now I need to get this envelope to the police lab and arrange for protective custody for you,” he insisted.

“Fine,” she agreed. They quickly left the restaurant then Kennex drove to the police lab. On the drive there, he phoned Maldonado who agreed to have a transport for Ava meet them at the lab. She also asked Stahl to look into Daniel Sala more closely.

“Stay here in the car. I’ll be back soon,” he told her. Kennex took the envelope into the lab to be analyzed. By the time he had returned to his car a transport had arrived with Detective Leung and his MX. Kennex walked Ava over to the transport and nodded in greeting to Detective Leung.

“Thanks for coming, Leung. Take good care of Miss White, all right?” he insisted.

“Of course, Kennex. Get in the back of the car, Miss White,” Detective Leung insisted. The MX opened the back door of the transport and Ava climbed inside. Before the door was closed by the MX, Ava gave Kennex one last glance. Detective Leung and the MX quickly drove away. Kennex made his way back to his car and then drove to the station. Once he arrived there Kennex was told to go to the conference room by a MX. He quickly found Dorian, Paul, Stahl, and Maldonado who all sat around the table. He took a seat as Maldonado nodded in greeting.

“Half an hour ago, there was a theft in the Western District from an armoured truck carrying semi automatic rifles. The vehicle was stopped by a parabolic pulse charge which killed both the driver and the security guard sitting beside him. Once the armoured truck had been stopped, the weapons in the back were loaded into a black truck. We’re running the plates now but that will be a dead end if they are using a tag scrambler,” Maldonado explained as she played video footage of the robbery.

“The white masks are a trademark of inSyndicate and they do engage in weapons trafficking,” Stahl reminded them all.

“Could inSyndicate be selling these weapons on the black market?” Kennex asked.

“That possibility is worth looking into. Paul, round up the local arms dealers and question them,” Maldonado ordered. 

“I will look into recent reported stolen vehicles and see if any of them match this description,” Dorian replied.

“I’ll talk to the victim’s families and see if they knew anyone who could be behind this attack,” Stahl stated.

“Get to work. Kennex, can I have a private word?” Maldonado demanded. The others quickly left the room.

“What is it?” Kennex wanted to know once the door had closed behind them.

“Do you remember our first conversation on the day you returned to work?” Maldonado asked him.

“You thought someone in the precinct could be a member of inSyndicate. If they are, Ava’s location at the safe house could be compromised,” Kennex replied.

“John, I think your girlfriend is a diversion from this weapons theft. But just in case it’s not, I’ll keep a protective detail on her until this case is over. But there’s another reason inSyndicate could be targeting you.” 

“What’s that?”

“You prevented them from getting their hands on Danica. If they had, inSyndicate could have made what happened on Green Street look like a minor incident.”

“I understand,” he replied. A moment later he left the conference room and walked towards his desk. If Ava’s life was in danger than he wouldn’t hesitate to try and save her, Kennex thought as he sat behind his desk. But now was not the time to think about his feelings for Ava when he had a case to solve, he resolved.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Three days later

The thing that they don’t show in cop dramas was how boring it was to be in a safe house, Ava thought. She couldn’t communicate with the outside world and the MX who stood guard outside the house wasn’t a great conversationalist. Detective Leung was courteous but he wasn’t that talkative either. ‘I hope this case wraps up soon,’ she thought. Suddenly she heard two gunshots in rapid succession. Detective Leung stood from where he sat beside her on the couch.

“Stay away from the windows and front door. I’ll check it out,” instructed Detective Leung as he drew his gun. Ava nodded. A moment later the front door clicked open as the biolock was disabled. An attractive man with black hair fired a shot at Detective Leung a moment before he fired his own gun. Ava expected the man to fall to the ground but instead he merely stumbled back at the impact of the bullet. He must be wearing a bullet proof vest, Ava realized. The man rapidly closed the door and then stepped over the body of Detective Leung. Once he saw Ava on the couch, he smiled. It was not a pleasant or welcoming smile but rather something that reminded Ava of a predator.

“Hello, Ava,” said the man as he walked closer to Ava. She quickly recognized him as the man who had stollen her purse, Daniel Sala. 

“Did you kill Seamus?” she wanted to know. He pointed his gun towards her.

“I made sure he didn’t suffer. The sedative I slipped into his drink at the bar combined with the alcohol he’d already drunk meant Seamus barely felt a thing when I shot him. The lack of surveillance cameras in the area and the face maker I was wearing made it easy to avoid the police,” he remarked.

“But why? What did Seamus ever do to you?” she demanded.

“Nothing. But he used to mean a great deal to you. We wanted you to understand by killing Seamus that you can’t run and you can’t hide from us. We know everything about you. You’re Kennex’s girlfriend now, and so you’re a person of interest to us. Speaking of your boyfriend, let’s call him shall we?” Sala said. He kept his gun trained on her while he pulled out his phone with his other hand. He dialled a number and then held the phone just under his mouth. The phone rang once before it was answered.

“Kennex. Who is this?” came the voice of her boyfriend. The call was likely blocked, Ava thought.

“Hello John, this is Daniel. Detective Leung is dead and his MX is destroyed but your girlfriend is alive for now. If you want to keep it that way, you’ll show up here in half an hour with no backup and no drones,” Sala said.

“Can I speak with Ava?” John requested.

“If you want to,” Sala conceded. A moment later he moved the phone closer to Ava.

“Ava, are you OK?” asked John. Ava took a deep breath before she replied.

“I’m fine. Don’t come here, John. Don’t walk into a trap,” she warned him.

“I have to come. You’re too important for me to lose,” he replied.

“Likewise,” she responded. If things went badly, she wanted her boyfriend to know that she couldn’t imagine a life without him in it any longer, she thought.

“How much is your revenge worth to you? Is it worth your girlfriend’s life or even your own? I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” Sala concluded. A moment later he ended the call and put away his phone.

“Lie back on that couch. I’m going to tie your hands and feet. If you move, I will shoot you. Nod if you understand,” Sala demanded. A moment later Ava nodded and lay back on the couch. Sala made quick work of tying her hands and feet tightly with rope that he removed from a small backpack. He stood beside her and held his gun to Ava’s head. 

The two of them waited in silence until they heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. John quickly took in the situation at a glance and pointed his gun at Sala’s head. Sala moved his gun from Ava towards John.

“Hello, Kennex,” Sala sneered.

“Drop the gun, Sala,” John commanded.

“Not a chance,” Sala scoffed. 

“Your gun has armour piercing bullets, doesn’t it? That’s how you were able to kill Detective Leung and destroy his MX so easily. Those kinds of bullets are expensive so whoever you work for is rich. That means you probably work for a major criminal organization such as inSyndicate,” John said.

“Watch that mouth of yours or you’ll never speak again,” Sala threatened.

“You think that you’re smarter than Detective Kennex, don’t you?” Ava said as she tried to distract Sala.

“Yes I do. Your boyfriend has proven to be very easily manipulated. That reminds me. Anna wasn’t pleased to learn you had survived the raid. She thought she’d killed you that day. Your ex-girlfriend won’t be pleased that I managed to do what she failed to,” Sala taunted John. 

“I don’t have any plans to die anytime soon,” John snapped. Ava looked at John and raised both of her eyebrows.

“Neither do I,” Ava stated. A moment later she moved her head and bit down hard on Sala’s leg which was close to her mouth. In surprised pain, he cried out. John took advantage of Sala’s momentary distraction and shot him in the head. A moment later he crumbled to the floor. An instant later John stood over her. He put his gun away and took out a knife.

“Hold still while I cut this rope. Are you OK?” he asked her. 

Once the rope was removed, Ava stood and walked as far away from Sala as she could before she stopped. The fear and adrenaline that had kept her going since Sala had entered the safe house now rapidly drained from her body. When Ava felt John’s hands on her shoulders, she swiftly turned and embraced him tightly. As she rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes, she felt John’s arms wrap around her waist and shoulders. Slowly her breathing returned to normal as she took comfort in John’s closeness. The familiar scents of his antiperspirant and aftershave grounded her in the present moment. When she felt John’s hand on her chin, Ava opened her eyes and lifted her head to met his gaze. Before either of them could speak, the front door was opened again and the room rapidly filled with police officers. Reluctantly Ava stepped away from John, who seemed just as reluctant to let her go.

“Are you all right, Ava?” asked Dorian.

“Is Sala dead, Dorian?” she needed to know. Dorian briefly looked at the inSyndicate member on the floor.

“Yes he is,” he confirmed. Ava closed her eyes briefly in relief. 

“You will need to give a police statement about tonight’s events, Miss White,” a MX informed her.

“Of course. But I’ll only give my statement to Captain Maldonado,” Ava said.

“Why?” asked Dorian.

“I insist,” Ava stated.

“I’ll drive,” offered John. Dorian quickly followed the two of them out to John’s car. Ava got in the back seat while the two cops sat down in the front. The three of them fell into silence for the rest of the drive to the precinct. Once she was shown to an interrogation cube to talk with Captain Maldonado, Ava took a seat on one side of the table. Captain Maldonado changed the glass windows from clear to opaque and then turned to her.

“Although the exterior cameras of the safe house were disabled, the interior cameras were still working. So I watched everything that happened in the safe house from my office. You don’t trust any police officer because you think they might be working for inSyndicate. So why did you ask to give your statement to me, Miss White?” Captain Maldonado stated.

“Detective Kennex trusts you and that’s enough for me,” Ava replied. Captain Maldonado nodded.

“You held yourself together well in a very dangerous situation, Miss White,” Captain Maldonado complimented her. Ava looked at her hands which were clenched together tightly on her lap.

“However composed I appeared on the outside, internally I was terrified of Sala and afraid of dying at his hands,” she admitted.

“That’s understandable. inSyndicate aren’t amateurs. They are one of the most dangerous criminal gangs I’ve ever seen,” Captain Maldonado confirmed.

“I can readily believe that. Do you have any further questions, Captain Maldonado?” Ava wondered.

“No, I think I have enough information for your statement. Read this and then sign here,” Captain Maldonado said. She placed a tablet on the table. Ava read what had been written then signed the screen. She looked up to meet the gaze of Captain Maldonado.

“I just have one last question. John’s ex-girlfriend was a member of inSyndicate, wasn’t she?” Ava wanted to know.

“Why would you think that?” 

“Because if she seduced John to get information out of him, she would know when he and his team planned to strike their facility. His team must have been ambushed, which is when he lost his leg. Her alias was Anna, wasn’t it?” Ava said as she connected the dots about inSyndicate that she had been thinking about during the drive to the precinct. Given the other woman’s suddenly pale face, she’d hit the nail on the head.

“Yes. Be careful with John’s heart. Not all of his scars are on the outside,” Captain Maldonado quietly said.

“I will. Good night, Captain Maldonado,” Ava replied as she stood.

“Good night, Miss White,” the older woman responded. Outside the door Ava was met by John.

“Come on. You’re staying at my place tonight,” John declared as he took her hand and led her out to his car.

“Why?” she wondered.

“Your own home needs to be swept by the police before you can go back there,” he explained. 

“I’m very glad that you’re OK,” John quietly stated once they were alone in his car.

“Thank you for rescuing me. Though I hope you don’t think that I’m some damsel in distress,” she declared.

“Of course not. But would you object if I arranged some self defence lessons for you?” he wanted to know.

“Not at all,” she agreed. The two of them fell into silence as John drove to his place. Once they were inside his apartment, Ava paused and took a closer look at John. It was clear from his stubble on his jaw and the bags under his eyes that he’d been working hard lately.

“So how long has it been since you’ve slept?” she wondered.

“It’s been a while,” he admitted.

“Let’s both get some sleep,” she suggested.

“Sounds good to me,” he agreed. 

“Do you have spare clothes I can wear?” she asked him. He soon handed her some clothes and Ava retreated to the restroom. The long sleeved shirt and sweatpants were massive on her body, but she rolled up the sleeves and pant legs until they fit. Once they both lay in his bed, Ava turned to face John and slowly fell asleep.

She faced John with Sala’s gun in her hands. His fingers moved over her own and pulled the trigger twice. With a grimace of pain, John fell to the ground. Suddenly Ava gasped and opened her eyes. Her heart raced and she panted as she clutched John’s sheets. A moment later she felt John’s hand turn her chin to look at him.

“Breathe in, then breathe out. In then out. That’s it,” he told her as she slowly calmed herself down from her dream. Once she was breathing more regularly again, John moved his hand to her cheek.

“Do you want to talk about your nightmare?” he asked. She looked him in the eyes.

“No. But I do want you to make love to me,” she told him. In all their time together, they had never used that term to describe their sex. But Ava was tired of running away from her feelings. She loved John, she admitted to herself in that moment. Whether or not she ever said those words to him or he said them back to her wouldn’t change how she felt. John smiled at her then pulled her closer for a kiss. The sex that followed was slow and tender. It also felt more intimate than usual because it was the first time that John didn’t have his synthetic leg attached. 

“John…,” moaned Ava as her senses were overwhelmed by an orgasm. 

“Ava…,” groaned John a short time later as he climaxed. Once he stilled, Ava moved a hand to his chest to feel his still rapid heartbeat.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d still find me attractive without my synthetic leg, but I’m very glad that you did,” John admitted.

“It was my pleasure too. Now go back to sleep,” Ava urged him.

“You too,” he replied. She turned so that her back faced his chest. To her surprise, Ava felt John wrap an arm around her waist and pull her tightly against him a moment later. He’d never held her in bed before now but she wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth, Ava thought as she placed her own arm over his own. Lulled by John’s warmth, Ava closed her eyes and fell asleep again. This time she didn’t wake up until the morning. As she opened her eyes and turned her head to see John still sleeping beside her, she smiled at the sight. She turned to face him and laid her hand on John’s cheek. He smiled and opened up his eyes.

“Morning, Ava. How did you sleep?” he asked. 

“Very well. Can I use your restroom?” she replied.

“Go ahead,” he offered. Ava stood from the bed to grab her discarded clothes on the floor and then retreated to the restroom. As she got ready for the day, Ava resolved to look forward in her relationship with John not backwards. What was the title of that old Frank Sinatra song her mom had liked, she wondered. The song was called The Best is Yet to Come, she remembered. She sincerely hoped those words described her future with John, Ava thought.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Four days later

It wasn’t unusual for Kennex to work on a weekend as criminals didn’t adhere to regular working hours. That’s why he was currently in the precinct conference room along with Dorian, Paul, Stahl, and Maldonado this Saturday. His boss placed a tablet and small box down on the table then turned to the screen. She waved a hand and a driver’s license appeared on the screen.

“Early this morning, Chris Jamison was discovered dead at The Oasis, which is a private retreat center in the woods north of the City. That’s the jurisdiction of the 24th District. Detective Pullman is the investigating officer for this case. Their Captain requested more officers given the large number of people to eliminate as a suspect and how easily it would be for a perp to escape from the crime scene into the nearby woods, so I agreed to assign you all to this case,” Maldonado paused and then swiped her hand over the screen, which now displayed a picture of the dead victim. 

“Jamison died of a knife wound to the stomach likely caused by a steak knife. The coroner puts the time of death between midnight and 1 AM last night. His separated wife, Susan Jamison, was also at The Oasis but she has refused to be questioned by police without her lawyer present. While the manager who runs The Oasis was willing to let forensics onto the premises, the doctor who runs the current retreat there refused to allow any of the participants of the retreat to be questioned without their lawyers. This doctor, Alex Brown, runs a regular marriage retreat there. Kennex, Stahl, that’s where you both come in,” Maldonado informed them. 

“I want the two of you to go undercover as a married but separated couple in order to informally question the rest of the guests and Doctor Brown. That means you will be spending the rest of the current marriage retreat at The Oasis. You will be using the cover of Steven and Catherine Miller. The information for your cover is on the tablet so study that carefully. You’ll drive to the retreat tomorrow morning. I’ve registered you two as a late arrival staring tomorrow morning at 9 AM where you will be joining the entire group in a talking circle. I’ve told Doctor Brown that you two were travelling in Germany and your flight home from Frankfurt was delayed which explains why you are late to the retreat. Here are your wedding rings. They come with a locator chip inside them so wear them at all times,” Maldonado continued. She opened the box where two engraved gold rings sat. 

“As for Paul and Dorian, the two of you will be assisting Detective Pullman with the investigation while Stahl and Kennex are undercover. I expect you to provide backup and to also check in with either Kennex or Stahl every night. Now get to work,” Maldonado concluded. The four of them filed out of the conference room. He and Valerie walked over to her terminal while Dorian and Paul left the room. A moment later his phone rang. Kennex quickly answered it.

“Kennex … I’m fine Ava … Unfortunately I’m going to be busy with work over the next week or so but I’ll call you once my current case is done. Sorry that we’ll have to reschedule our date for tomorrow … I will and I’ll talk to you later. Bye,” Kennex quickly summarized the situation to his girlfriend and then hung up. He sat down beside Valerie as she turned on the tablet and set the box of wedding rings down on her terminal.

“So do you not like terms of endearment?” Stahl wondered. Kennex realized she must have overheard his conversation with Ava.

“Just don’t call me honey,” he insisted. Anna had called him that all the time. Although he’d thought it was sweet at the time, now that term of endearment made Kennex uneasy.

“Whatever you say, darling,” Stahl responded. Kennex held up a hand.

“Don’t do that. I’ve never liked deferential women but I do like smart women,” he observed.

“I’ve noticed. Now Steven is a successful realtor so we’ll have to get a new wardrobe for you,” Stahl noted as she took a closer look at pictures of Steven Miller on the tablet. Kennex tried not to sigh.

“I hate ties,” he admitted. 

“Well, I hate high heels but I’ll have to wear them given Catherine’s outfits. Now let’s read these covers and get our stories straight because multiple people will ask us questions at the retreat,” Stahl suggested as she turned her attention back to the tablet. Kennex nodded and did the same. If this case didn’t go according to plan, he was determined that it wouldn’t be because his cover was not believable.

The next morning found Kennex and Stahl sitting in a room with fifteen other couples in a semi circle of chairs. Doctor Brown faced them all in his own chair.

“This morning we have a new couple who arrived late due to their flight home being delayed. I want to welcome both Catherine and Steven to the group. I hope everyone else here will prove to be welcoming. I’m going to ask you two the same questions I’ve asked all the other couples in this room yesterday. First, how did you two meet?” Brown said.

“Steven bought me a drink at Leo’s. I thanked him then we got talking because we were both drinking bourbon,” Stahl replied. 

“When did you know that you were in love with each other?” Brown asked.

“For me it was the first morning after Steven had stayed the night at my place when I woke up and discovered that he was still sleeping beside me. I thought then that I wanted to wake up to that sight every morning,” responded Stahl with a slight smile on her face.

“What about you, Steven?” Brown wanted to know.

“As for me, it was the first time that Catherine held me after a bad dream,” Kennex replied with a fond look at Stahl.

“Why did you choose to separate?” Brown wanted to know.

“Steven was working long hours and I thought he cared more about his work than me,” Stahl explained.

“Catherine, I got you everything you asked for except for more time alone together,” protested Kennex. Brown held up a hand as if to prevent any further disagreements.

“I’m glad that you can talk honestly about your problems but I will not allow fighting during this retreat. Speaking of which, why did you come to this retreat?” Brown stated.

“We’ve been together for ten years and I’d like it to be longer,” Kennex replied as he placed a hand on the back of Stahl’s chair.

“I don’t give up easily on anyone which is why I suggested this retreat,” Stahl answered.

“Good. Now Steven, I’ve noticed that Catherine did most of the talking in that exchange. That’s fine but I want to ensure that you feel comfortable saying everything you want to. Tonight, after the sessions, I want you two to find a quiet room and close the door. Catherine, I want you to let Steven talk first. Listen carefully to what he has to say and don’t respond until you’ve really considered what he is saying. Speaking of communication, that brings me to Tim and Jenny. Why don’t you tell the group what you got out of your listening exercise yesterday? After that, everyone else can share their experience,” Brown stated. The tall and brown haired couple who sat next to Stahl began to talk next. Perhaps it was the experience of his anger management classes, but Kennex found it easy enough to tune out most of what Brown and the others were saying. But the doctor had given him and Stahl a good excuse to check out the floor plan of this three story building. He’d have to ask Dorian for a blueprint of the building so he and Stahl could search Doctor Brown’s office tonight after the sessions were done for the day, he thought.

That evening after dinner, Kennex and Stahl quietly walked to Doctor Brown’s office on the third floor. Kennex turned to Stahl.

“How are you going to unlock the door without a key or tech?” he asked as they examined the key lock. Stahl pulled a bobby pin from her hair and held it up.

“I’ll try this,” she explained and bent the bobby pin carefully before she inserted it into the key lock.

“I thought a bobby pin only worked in old movies,” Kennex remarked.

“It’s certainly not as effective as tech designed to unlock doors, but I’m having to improvise here. There. I got it,” Stahl replied after some time. The door clicked open and the two of them quickly went inside the dark room. Kennex shut the door behind them while Stahl turned on the lights. She turned her head to look at him.

“Steven, stand by the door and tell me if you hear anyone coming,” she instructed him.

“What if someone does come?” Kennex asked.

“Then it will be your turn to improvise,” Stahl informed him as she sat down behind the computer on Brown’s desk. 

“Any luck accessing Brown’s computer files?” Kennex asked after several moments of silence from Stahl.

“No, this computer has a very good firewall,” she told him.

“Someone’s coming,” Kennex realized as he heard footsteps coming their way. Stahl quickly shut down the computer monitor and stood. Kennex quickly made his way closer to her. Without thinking much about it, he wrapped one arm around her waist and put his other hand on her shoulder. Stahl pulled his head down to kiss her. Kennex inhaled in surprise but quickly kissed her back. He was just thinking of closing his eyes when the door opened. He turned his head to see Doctor Brown but didn’t let go of Stahl. She kept her hands on him but pulled her head away to look at Doctor Brown.

“Pardon me Steven, Catherine. What are you doing in here?” Brown wondered.

“We were just trying to find a quiet room to talk as you suggested earlier. We got to talking and Steven told me that he still loved me. I admitted that I felt the same way about him and then we kissed,” Stahl lied.

“I saw the light on inside this room and decided to check it out because I was certain that I had locked this door. But perhaps I was wrong. I’m glad that you’ve talked alone, but don’t wander around on the third floor again. Good night to you both,” Brown replied.

“Good night, Doctor Brown,” Stahl replied. She stepped away from Kennex then took his hand and walked with him out of the room.

“That was close,” Stahl said once they were alone in their suite.

“Yeah. Why don’t you take the bed? I’m fine with the couch,” Kennex offered.

“With your synthetic leg won’t you find the bed more comfortable?” Stahl wanted to know.

“Fine. But before we go to sleep there is something we should talk about,” Kennex suggested.

“What?” she inquired.

“About that kiss earlier…,” Kennex began then trailed off. Stahl was a good kisser but he hadn’t felt the same sense of connection with her that he had when he kissed Ava, Kennex realized. Stahl held up a hand and he stopped speaking.

“I understand. Miss White is a very fortunate woman to have you,” Stahl quietly replied. He was relieved that Stahl understood that their kiss meant nothing more than maintaining their cover as a couple.

“I’m the fortunate one. Speaking of significant others, how is your boyfriend?” Kennex asked.

“I wouldn’t know because Jake and I broke up two months ago,” Stahl answered.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Did he hurt you?” Kennex wondered. He wasn’t interested in dating Stahl any longer but he still cared about her wellbeing.

“No. Jake was wonderful but his parents never accepted me. It was hard enough for them to accept Jake’s brother who is a wood sculptor with a chainsaw. But to have their successful lawyer son dating a detective was too much,” Stahl explained.

“Chrome parents have unrealistically high expectations of their children, don’t they?” Kennex said. 

“I agree,” Stahl replied. Before he could respond, his phone rang. Kennex quickly answered it. 

“Miller speaking.”

“This is Dorian,” answered his partner. Kennex held the phone out so that Stahl could hear the conversation as well. She stepped closer to him.

“This is Catherine. I attempted to look at Brown’s files on the computer in his office but we were interrupted before I could get past his security. You’ll probably need a subpoena in order to access them,” Stahl told Dorian.

“I filed a subpoena for Doctor Brown’s files concerning the clients of his marriage retreats for the last three months this morning. Was there anything else?” Dorian answered.

“Not on our end. What have you found?” Kennex wanted to know.

“Chris Jamison had no children, but we interviewed his sister Amy who said he was often evasive or secretive about his whereabouts. His banks records weren’t abnormal except for a tendency to use hotels much more frequently then you would expect of a robotic repairman,” Dorian informed them.

“Do you think Chris was having an affair?” wondered Stahl.

“Susan denies it but that was about all she would say in her interview with me and her attorney. The other individuals who were working at the retreat but weren’t clients of Doctor Brown are all clean and don’t have any connection to Jamison,” Paul told them.

“What about the good doctor himself?” Kennex asked.

“Doctor Brown has been a registered marriage and family therapist for twenty one years. He’s married to his second wife and has three kids. He’s clean except for running a red light six months ago. He received a ticket for that which he paid on time,” Dorian said.

“What about the other couples registered for this week’s retreat?” Stahl wanted to know.

“None of them have a criminal record. But we are still analyzing their witness statements and bank records. I’d better let you and Catherine get some sleep. Until tomorrow,” Dorian concluded.

“Until then,” Kennex said and then hung up his phone. He turned to look at Stahl.

“Good night,” he said.

“Good night,” she replied. He was grateful for the privacy of the bedroom in order to change his clothes and recharge his leg. Having Stahl see him without two legs felt much too intimate, he thought. Kennex set his phone alarm for 7 AM and then gradually fell asleep on the bed that was firmer than his own.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Six days later

“So what’s the plan?” asked Kennex as he and Stahl sat in their suite after dinner. With the help of Dorian, Paul, and Detective Pullman, they now knew who the murderer of Chris Jamison was. Jenny Montgomery, who was married to Tim, had been having an affair with Chris. They had matched the knife that had stabbed Chris to a steak knife taken from the retreat’s kitchen with Jenny’s fingerprints on the knife from a biolock at the retreat center. He’d thought all murderers these days wore gloves, but apparently that wasn’t always the case.

“Jenny runs a trail riding company so I think the two of us should talk to her about going on a ride soon. That’s our best angle to get a confession out of her,” Stahl suggested. He nodded in understanding. 

The three of them were soon alone in a small room on the second floor as Jenny showed them an electronic paper about the trail rides she offered.

“So you can go out for an hour, two hours, the entire morning, or the entire day. It all depends on how much of the countryside you want to see and how comfortable you are with riding for long periods. For people that don’t have much experience with horses I always suggest the one hour ride to start. Then if you like that you can go for a longer ride the next time,” Jenny explained.

“Thanks. That sounds interesting. But horses aren’t the only reason that we wanted to talk to you alone,” Kennex stated as he set the electronic paper aside. 

“What else do you want to talk about?” Jenny wondered.

“Why did you and Tim come to this retreat?” Stahl asked her.

“Tim wanted to come because he thought our marriage could be saved. I only agreed because of his mother who doesn’t like to hear the word no,” Jenny answered.

“Does Tim know about the affair?” wondered Kennex. Jenny’s head quickly turned to look at him more closely.

“How did you know about that?” she demanded.

“That’s not important,” Stahl replied.

“So you two are cops. I figured someone would investigate Chris’s death,” Jenny replied.

“What happened between you and Chris?” Stahl pressed.

“Chris and I loved each other. We really did. But I wanted to get a divorce from Tim while Chris got a divorce from Susan. I was tired of sneaking around behind both of them. But Chris was reluctant to hurt Susan like that. We’d agreed to meet at the kitchen because it was deserted that time of night with everyone else sleeping. When Chris refused to listen to my plan, I grabbed the closest knife I could find and stabbed him in the stomach. I figured that if I couldn’t have Chris, no other woman could,” Jenny confessed. Kennex exchanged a look with Stahl.

“You’re under arrest, Jenny Montgomery. You’ll have to come with us down to the precinct,” Kennex said as he stepped closer to her.

“I’m not going anywhere with either of you,” Jenny declared as she pulled a steak knife from her right sleeve. 

“Put the knife down,” Stahl urged her as she stepped closer.

“No!” Jenny cried. Before Kennex could react, Jenny swiftly stepped forward and plunged the knife into Stahl’s shoulder. Stahl stumbled back with a cry of pain. Kennex grabbed Jenny’s arms. She swiftly kneed him between the legs which caused him to stagger back. Jenny ran out of the room. Kennex looked at Stahl who was holding one hand up to her bloody shoulder. He swiftly pulled out his phone.

“Dorian, Jenny Montgomery has fled and stabbed Valerie. I need EMTs in here now. I’ll be fine. Keep me updated,” he quickly informed his partner. He hung up and looked closely at Stahl.

“You OK?” he wondered.

“I’ve been better. You?” she asked. 

“I’ll be fine,” he replied. They waited in silence until the door opened. The EMTs hurried in followed by Doctor Brown.

“Steven, Catherine. What happened?” Brown asked as the EMTs looked at Stahl’s shoulder.

“Catherine was stabbed by Jenny and then ran away,” Kennex summarized.

“Did you discover that Jenny was the one who killed Chris?” asked Brown.

“Yes. How did you know that we were cops?” Kennex wondered as the EMTs left the room with Stahl.

“I suspected that the police would put someone undercover in this retreat after Chris was killed,” Brown explained as the two men left the room.

“What gave us away?” wondered Kennex. Were his undercover skills that rusty, he asked himself.

“You and Catherine certainly find each other physically attractive and you are close emotionally. But it was clear to me when I saw you kiss that you don’t have the intimate familiarity with each other’s bodies that a real couple would,” Brown told him.

“Right. I should get back to work,” Kennex replied.

“Of course. Thank you for finding the murderer, detective,” Brown concluded.

“I was just doing my job,” Kennex stated. Brown nodded in understanding then walked away. When he was driving back to the precinct Kennex got a call.

“Kennex,” he answered his phone.

“This is Dorian. We caught Jenny Montgomery fleeing the scene. We’ve arrested her and are taking her back to the precinct. How is Detective Stahl?” Dorian said.

“She’s on her way to the hospital right now. I’ll meet you at the precinct,” Kennex replied.

“Copy that,” Dorian answered then ended the call.

“Detective Kennex, Captain Maldonado wishes to speak with you in her office,” a MX informed him in the lobby of the precinct. Kennex nodded in understanding and walked to Maldonado’s office. He knocked on the glass door. Once Maldonado looked up from her tablet and waved him inside Kennex closed the door behind him.

“You wanted to talk to me?” he asked his boss. She stood to face him.

“Kennex, why did you break police protocol when Stahl was injured? You know after Dorian called the EMTs that you should have pursued the suspect, not waited until the EMTs arrived in the room,” she asked him.

“I had to make sure that Stahl was all right. Besides, Dorian and Paul caught the murderer so no harm was done,” Kennex told her.

“I’m glad that you’re so concerned about Stahl’s well being. But you feel more than concern for her, don’t you?” Maldonado pressed him.

“I feel respect for Stahl, but that’s all. I’ve seen enough good cops die without wanting to add to that number,” Kennex replied.

“Valerie’s important to you, John. I saw that when she was kidnapped by the Avery clones. I’m glad that you work well together but I can’t have you distracted from the job again. So from now on, you two can’t act as a couple undercover,” Maldonado ordered.

“Both Stahl and I can remain professional,” Kennex protested.

“I trust Stahl’s professionalism but unfortunately you’re different sometimes,” Maldonado argued.

“Look, I know I have anger issues but I’m working on that with therapy,” he reminded her.

“That’s not entirely what I meant. Sit down and watch this video,” Maldonado said. He sat down in the chair behind her desk and then she passed him the tablet.

“What am I watching?” he wondered as he picked up the tablet.

“You’ll see,” she told him. Kennex pressed the play button. The camera showed the exterior of the safe house where he had left Ava. A moment later the external camera feed died. There was a brief period of static then the camera feed switched to an internal view of the safe house. A moment after the front door opened, Detective Leung was shot by Sala and crumbled to the floor. Leung lay on the floor as Sala talked to Ava. Sala confessed to the killing of Seamus and then called Kennex. After he hung up, he tied Ava up and then there was silence until Kennex arrived. Kennex pressed the pause button on the video shortly after he had shot Sala. The video stopped on the image of him and Ava tightly embracing each other. Kennex put the tablet back on the table and turned to face Maldonado.

“Why did you show me that?” he demanded. He should have known there was camera footage of what had happened, but at the time he hadn’t been thinking about that.

“Tell me, if Miss White hadn’t bit Sala’s leg what would you have done next? Would you have still shot Sala dead even though we could use all the information about inSyndicate we could get out of him? Or would you have waited for the backup that I sent to the safe house?” she questioned him.

“You knew that I would go alone without backup to the safe house?” he clarified.

“Yes, as soon as I saw that Miss White was in danger,” Maldonado declared.

“What else could I have done to save Ava?” he wanted to know.

“I don’t think you had a choice. But the fact remains that with Miss White you were thinking with your heart rather then your head, just like you were with Stahl. Keep this video of the safe house between us. I’m personally leading the investigation into how the safe house was compromised. Once I know all of the details, I’ll let you know. Speaking of inSyndicate, Miss White knows about the raid,” Maldonado stated. He swiftly turned his head to face her.

“What does Ava know? Did you or Dorian tell her anything?” Kennex demanded.

“I didn’t say anything. I can’t speak for your partner, but I doubt Dorian said anything either. Miss White probably found out from the media. For the first two days after the raid, I had reporters from all over who wanted a comment from me. I didn’t say anything, so they drew their own conclusions. Soon the next big story broke and the media moved on. But between those stories and what Sala said, Miss White must have connected the dots herself, though she doesn’t know every detail. You haven’t told her anything about the raid, have you?” Maldonado answered.

“No. I know not all the details were classified, but I don’t want to think about it, much less talk about it. The dreams are bad enough,” he admitted.

“You can take a sedative for that,” she suggested.

“I’d rather not deal with the side effects, not after my experience with Membliss,” he told her.

“I understand. One more thing. I know you’d probably like a protection detail on Miss White, but the department doesn’t have the funding for that over the long term,” Maldonado said.

“But you heard Sala. InSyndicate will likely target Ava again because of her connection to me,” Kennex argued.

“Possibly. But we can’t protect the spouses and partners of all the cops in the City. That’s just not practical,” she argued. Loath as Kennex was to admit it, he knew his boss was right.

“I see. Now if that’s all, I’d better get started on my report,” Kennex concluded. Maldonado nodded. Kennex quickly left her office and headed to sit behind his terminal. From now on he would do his best to act more professionally around Stahl, he decided. He also needed to talk with Ava to make sure she really had put the events of the safe house behind her. As for convincing Ava that he didn’t consider her to be as untrustworthy as Anna had proven to be, Kennex knew that would take time. But he’d deal with his girlfriend later. Right now he had a report to write, he told himself.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Three days later

“Morning, Dorian. Morning, Rudy,” greeted Kennex as he arrived to pick up Dorian from Rudy’s for his latest shift.

“Morning, John. I heard about the stabbing. Will Detective Stahl be all right?” asked Rudy.

“Yeah, she’s coming back to work today,” Kennex stated.

“Good,” replied Rudy.

“Come on, Dorian,” urged John. The two men left the lab. Once in the car, Kennex picked up his phone and made a call to Ava.

“Hi Ava, this is John. Let me know if you are free tonight at 7. Hope to see you then. Bye,” he left a message for his girlfriend.

“Have you told her yet?” asked Dorian.

“What are you talking about?” wondered Kennex.

“Have you told your girlfriend that you love her? I know those words make you uncomfortable, but I suspect Ava wishes to hear them,” Dorian said.

“You really think so? How do you know?” asked Kennex.

“Captain Maldonado asked me to keep an eye on you and Miss White the night after you killed Sala, so I linked with the smart bed in your place before I recharged at Rudy’s. I purged most of the data after viewing it the next morning. But from what I remember, your feelings for each other were very clear,” Dorian told him.

“Robbery in progress on Sanderson Boulevard. Any available units please respond,” the voice of dispatch came through the car radio before Kennex could reply.

“Show us responding,” Kennex replied as he drove to the scene. Although he was annoyed at Dorian’s invasion of privacy yet again, he was also relieved that Dorian had deleted the intimacy between him and Ava from his memory banks. The last thing he wanted Dorian to know about was his sex life, he thought.

After a long day of chasing down and capturing platinum thieves, Kennex stood in front of Ava’s home. 

“Evening, Ava. It’s John,” he spoke into her biolock. The door swiftly unlocked and he stopped inside her home. He closed the front door behind him. Ava stood in front of him. He was still in his work clothes while she wore a brown pantsuit and white blouse.

“Hi. How are you?” he said as he took off his shoes.

“I’m fine,” she replied. She turned to walk further inside the house. Kennex followed Ava to the living room where she turned to look at him.

“I know that you said you didn’t want any gifts for our six month anniversary but I got something for you before you requested that. With everything else that happened soon afterwards, I only just remembered it yesterday,” she told him.

“What is it? “ Kennex wondered.

“Wait right here. I’ll be right back,” Ava told him then swiftly left the room. Kennex sat down on the couch.

“That’s a large box,” he observed when Ava returned a short time later. She carefully set the box down on the coffee table and then sat down beside him on the couch.

“Open it,” she urged him. Kennex opened the wrapping paper and then looked at the box in surprise.

“It’s a charging station for a synthetic leg,” he realized.

“Yes. Now you can spend the entire night at my house if you want to. Not that you have to, of course. I know how much you like your own space,” she replied.

“That’s very thoughtful. Thank you,” he stated.

“You’re welcome,” she said. He turned to look at her and took her hands in his own.

“There’s something important I want to talk with you about,” he changed the subject.

“What is it?” she wondered.

“Maldonado showed me the video of the safe house yesterday so I know now what Sala said to you. She also told me you know about the raid,” he told her. She looked at the ground briefly before her eyes met his own.

“Do you ever cherish the memory of Anna because a part of you fears that you’ll never be loved again?” Ava wondered.

“I can’t look on even my happier memories of Anna now without wondering how she was manipulating me in that moment. After how things ended between us, I don’t know if I can say I love you again and mean it. But what we have together means a lot to me. When I held you after killing Sala, I was so relieved you were safe that I never wanted to let you go. I still feel that way,” Kennex admitted.

“John, I don’t let just anyone into my home, my bed, and my heart. I have no intention of ever leaving you,” she told him. He smiled. She placed a hand on his arm as their heads moved closer together. A moment later, their lips met in a tender kiss. Reluctantly, he was the one to pull away first.

“As wonderful as that was, I am rather hungry,” he admitted.

“Me too,” she told him.

“Let’s eat,” he declared. They rose and headed to the kitchen. After their meal they returned to the living room to watch a movie. Once that had finished Kennex turned to Ava.

“Let’s go to bed,” he suggested. She nodded and rose. He grabbed the charging station for his synthetic leg from the coffee table and followed Ava to her bedroom.

“Get comfortable. I’ll be back shortly,” Ava declared. She took a small bag from her closet and then left the room. Kennex stripped down to his tank top and boxers. He removed his synthetic leg and placed it on the charging station, then he carefully made his way back to the bed. He’d just sat back on the bed when Ava returned to the room and closed the door behind her. As she walked closer to him Kennex noticed that she wore a knee length grey robe. She paused in front of him and took off the robe to reveal that she wore a grey bra and matching underwear. Kennex gave her body an appreciative glance from her head to her feet. A moment later Ava straddled his lap and wrapped both of her arms around his back.

“Why don’t you use that mouth of yours for something other then talking?” she suggested as he wrapped both of his arms around her. Kennex quickly kissed her. She returned his passionate kiss. Soon his focus narrowed to just the two of them. After their sex, Kennex turned to face Ava.

“On our next date, do you want to come over to my place?” he suggested. She turned her head to look him in the eyes.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Yeah. I never got a chance to show you around the first time. I’d also like you to stay the whole night,” Kennex clarified. She raised an eyebrow.

“What?” he wondered.

“Are you just asking because you want to replace memories of Anna at your place with ones of me instead?” she inquired.

“No. I want to be more open with you because you would never manipulate me the way she did,” he declared.

“I’m glad to hear that. Now, why don’t we both get some sleep?” she concluded. Kennex kissed her cheek then turned over in bed. A moment later he felt Ava’s hands on his back and smiled. Soon afterwards he fell asleep.

When Ava’s alarm went off the next morning to classical music, Kennex opened his eyes and turned his head towards Ava. She rolled over and hit the top of the alarm once which ended the music.

“Morning, John. I’d like to spend more time in bed with you but we do both have to get to work,” she observed. He took a look at the alarm which showed the time as 7 AM.

“Yes, there are criminals to catch and students to teach. But we’d save time if we shower together,” he suggested.

“As long as getting clean is all you have in mind,” she stated.

“With one leg you can be assured of that. As I’ve said, my synthetic leg doesn’t do well under the shower,” he told her.

“Even with two legs I think shower sex is unsafe,” Ava informed him.

“That’s one more thing we can agree on. Let’s go,” he said. He swiftly followed Ava to the restroom.

As he drove to pick Dorian up from Rudy’s for their next shift, Kennex thought about his relationship with Ava. He’d told Dorian once that he believed that there was one person out there for everyone. Perhaps Ava was the one woman for him. All he knew with certainty right now was that while Anna was a part of his past, he wanted Ava to continue to be a part of his future for as long as possible, Kennex decided.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and a special thanks for everyone who gave me kudos.

Chapter Seventeen

“Why are we here today, Amelia?” asked Ava as she and her aunt stood in front of her father’s grave at Eastwinds Cemetery.

“Because I thought it was high time you said goodbye to your father. You need closure,” Amelia said.

“No I don’t. I know I missed his funeral, but that was because I was in the hospital recovering.”

“I know that. But you could have come to his grave since then, and you haven’t. You’ve been running from your father ever since your mother died.”

“Well, I had good reason to. How could I forgive him? Richard not only neglected me, he was a criminal.”

“Even so, he was still your father.”

“So I should have loved him despite everything? How could I love him when he never showed me what that meant? I learned that from my mom and from you, not from him.”

“Sometimes we need to learn how to let go, Ava. Do you think it was easy for me to forgive the gang members who killed your uncle Igor? No, it was not. That was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But I knew that if I dwelt on the rage and the grief that I would stop living. That was the last thing Igor would have wanted for me. So day by day I tried to focus on other things, and gradually I learned how to smile and laugh again.” 

Ava placed a hand on Amelia’s arm.

“It’s not quite the same, but you have a point. Now can we go? This weather is freezing,” Ava concluded. Amelia nodded and they quickly walked towards her car.

“So I know you and John will be spending Christmas Eve with me. Do you have any other plans for the holiday?” Amelia asked as they drove back to her place.

“I’m going to the precinct Christmas party tonight, and I’m going over to Heather and Ryan’s place for lunch on Christmas Day,” Ava said.

“Good. So how is that puppy I gave you for your birthday working out?”

“Henry is a bundle of energy. He’s smart but he’s also too curious for his own good. He loves to chew on things, so I’ve gone through so many toys with him already,” Ava said as she described her poodle.

That evening as she was about to leave for the Christmas party, Henry came over to sniff her feet. Ava leaned down to pet the puppy. He turned around and peed all over her shoes.

“What the hell! Bad dog. Go to your bed. Stay,” commanded Ava. Henry swiftly left the front entrance. Ava gingerly took off her heels and walked to the restroom. She placed the shoes in the bathtub and scrubbed her feet clean with soap and a washcloth. She walked back to her bedroom and opened her closet. Her flats and sneakers were both too casual for a party, but those heels were her only dressy shoes. Then she spotted John’s boots in the corner of the closet. He was only one foot size bigger then her, so she could wear them without too much trouble. But her knee length black dress was much too formal for these shoes. She swiftly changed into black leggings, a short sleeved red dress, and a black choker necklace. Now John’s shoes didn’t stick out too much, she thought. 

She did her best not to speed on her way to the party, but even so she was about ten minutes late. Ava took several deep breaths as she walked towards the restaurant the party was being held in. Dorian was the one at the table who spotted her first.

“Good evening, Ava. Is your being late related to why you are wearing John’s boots?” he asked.

“Yes. Suffice to say, my puppy Henry won’t be getting any dog treats this Christmas. Hello, you must be Detective Stahl and Doctor Lom. I’m Ava White, John’s girlfriend,” Ava introduced herself to the two people she didn’t know at the table. She had already met Detective Paul and Captain Maldonado, who sat on the other side of the table.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Call me Valerie,” the beautiful woman said as they shook hands. Ava remembered that John had told her that Detective Stahl was a chrome. By her good looks alone, Ava could believe it.

“I’ve heard a lot of things about you. I’m Rudy,” said the man as they shook hands.

“Hello, Ava. How are you?” asked John as he approached the table. He must have been in the restroom, thought Ava. She smiled at him.

“It’s good to be here,” she replied as she walked around the table and took the empty seat on his right side. 

“I recommend the surf and turf platter,” Detective Paul said.

“Have you eaten here before, Richard?” asked Detective Stahl.

“Yes. My ex-wife loved this place,” he said.

“I’m not going to trust the judgment of any woman that was dumb enough to marry you,” John said.

“Guys, can you give it a rest, at least for tonight?” Detective Stahl requested. Ava frowned. She was well aware the two men didn’t like each other, but she personally agreed with Detective Stahl. As the meal went on, Ava realized just how much John really liked Detective Stahl. He would always listen attentively to her and would usually smile at her jokes. It wasn’t as if he ignored her, but Ava sensed he wasn’t paying as much attention to her as Valerie. If the other woman was as perfect as possible as a chrome, how could she compete with that? There would be no basis for comparison between them. Ava tried to dismiss that thought as the evening went on and the mood lightened as more alcohol was consumed by everyone except her and Dorian.

“Well, I should get back to Rudy’s and recharge,” Dorian said.

“Right. But before you go, why don’t we play Truth or Dare?” suggested Rudy.

“That’s my cue to leave,” Captain Maldonado said as she stood.

“Come on Sandra. What do you have to hide?” wondered John.

“There are some things I don’t want to know. Come on Dorian, I’ll drop you off at Rudy’s lab,” the older woman concluded.

“Very well. Merry Christmas everyone,” declared Dorian. The two of them swiftly left the restaurant.

“Party poopers,” muttered John.

“So would you like to volunteer to go first John?” Rudy wondered.

“Sure. I pick truth.”

“What is your girlfriend’s best trait?” John looked at her closely.

“I can only pick one? Then I’d have to choose patience. Your turn, Rudy.” Ava smiled at John and placed a hand on his knee.

“I choose dare,” the other man stated.

“All right, I dare you to leave one of your robotic butterflies in Maldonado’s office,” John said. Rudy nodded.

“Your turn, Detective Stahl,” he said.

“All right. I choose truth. Paul, why did you leave Vice?”

“Because I didn’t feel I was being recognized enough and Delta Division had a wider variety of crimes to investigate. I choose dare. Stahl, kiss Kennex on the lips.”

“What?” asked John and Detective Stahl simultaneously. Ava froze and looked more closely at them both. What kind of history did they have together, she wondered.

“Don’t be coy. I know you two kissed on your last undercover case. But I bet you never told your girlfriend that, did you Kennex?” Paul continued.

“If you’ll excuse me…,” Ava quietly said, then rapidly rose and walked out of the restaurant.

“Ava, wait!” called John as he hurried after her. She stopped when she felt his hands on her shoulders.

“I’m not mad at you for going undercover because that’s part of your job. But I do want to know one thing. Was I your second choice after Detective Stahl turned you down?” she wanted to know.

“It’s a long story,” John said. She turned around to face him and crossed her arms over her chest.

“I want to hear it.”

“Sure. But you mind if we sit in my car? It’s cold out here tonight.” 

She nodded. They were soon siting in his backseat.

“Why don’t you start from the beginning?” she suggested after a moment of tense silence between them. John nodded.

“I first met Valerie after coming back to work from medical leave after the raid. We liked each other from our first meeting, but we also worked together so I did my best to keep things professional between us. Gradually as we got to know each other better, I thought I might ask her out on a date. By the time I’d worked up the courage to do so, I discovered Valerie had agreed to go out for drinks with another man. After that, I figured we had no future together. As for you, I was flattered that you responded to my dating profile. After our lunch together, I accepted your offer of a date because I wanted to get to know you better,” he told her.

“That explains a lot, but it still doesn’t answer my question,” she insisted.

“You weren’t my second choice, Ava. I wanted to know you for yourself, not because I thought I had no other options.”

“Are you sure you never felt that your synthetic leg might have limited the number of women that wanted to date you?”

“To be honest, any woman that shallow isn’t one I would have wanted to date in the first place. I went on a couple of dates after I was reinstated, but neither evening worked out. Dorian thought that was because I was boring.”

“Well, I don’t think you are. Why do you think I’m still dating you?”

“I thought it was my rugged good looks.” Before Ava could reply, she heard a knock on the window. John rolled down the glass to see Detective Stahl with both of their coats.

“I thought I’d bring you these in case you wanted to leave. Are you two OK?”

“We’re good thanks,” John said as he took the coats from her.

“Ava, I hope you don’t dislike me for kissing John. It was only done to maintain our cover as a couple,” Stahl said.

“I understand. What you would have said if John had asked you out?”

“I would have said no. I don’t like to mix my work and personal life. Well, I should get back inside. Merry Christmas to you both,” she concluded.

“Same to you Valerie,” John said. As Detective Stahl walked back towards the restaurant, she and John moved to the front seats of the car. John allowed her to drive.

“Let’s go to my place tonight,” he suggested as she started the car.

“OK,” Ava agreed as she backed out of the parking space.

“So are you looking forward to your Christmas presents tomorrow at Amelia’s?” John wondered.

“Yes. But I’m even more glad to have you by my side this year.”

“Me too,” replied John. She smiled at him.

Ava ran though a maze of dark corridors. There were no doors, only grey walls. Suddenly she saw a white door in the distance. She opened it. In front of her sat her father and Seamus.

“Dad, Seamus. What are you doing here?” she asked them.

“Hello Sarah. Why did you never come to see me after you moved back to the City?” asked her dad.

“You know why.” He shook his head.

“You were always stubborn, darling. Sometimes you need to forgive people,” Seamus told her. She looked at the man she used to love.

“I gave you time to change, and you didn’t want to. Would you have preferred if I’d signed you up for AA classes behind your back and insisted that you attend? I wasn’t going to take you by the hand and lead you like a parent guides a child.”

“Perhaps that’s what I needed. But now that’s not an option. I’m lying dead in a cemetery and you can’t change that,” Seamus replied.

“So you think your death was my fault?”

“Yes. If you hadn’t started dating that police officer, inSyndicate would have left me alone instead of shooting me in the chest. I know Sala said I didn’t feel anything, but he was lying. Death is almost always painful.”

“At least you were drunk at the time, Seamus. I was sober when those VX bots came into the warehouse. I didn’t live long, but I do remember that floor being cold as I lay there bleeding. That was my last thought before the end,” her dad said.

“Stop it, both of you. I don’t want to listen to the dead. They have nothing more to say.”

“Then let us go, Sarah. But remember we’ll always be here in your memories. In that sense, we’ll never be gone. Traces of us will linger in your life until your own death. Nothing will change that,” her dad concluded. 

A moment later, Ava opened her eyes abruptly from the dream. She sat up in John’s bed and drew her knees into her chest. As she rested her forehead on her legs, she felt waves of guilt, anger, and remorse sweep over her. Why had she never reconciled with her father? Why hadn’t she given Seamus a second chance or more time to change? Why was she so reluctant to forgive and let go? Unable to answer those questions, Ava hung her head and wept for what could have been. She was barely aware of John waking up beside her and his hands on her arms.

“What’s wrong?” he asked her once she had dried her tears.

“You sure you want to hear it?” she asked. 

“Tell me,” he urged her.

“I visited my dad’s grave with Amelia today, which was the first time I’ve been there since he died. Even after all this time, I couldn’t bring myself to forgive him. Amelia said that was necessary, that I shouldn’t hold onto my feelings of anger and resentment for all he’d done to me. She told me that although it had taken time, she’d forgiven the gang members who killed her husband. But I don’t know if I can be as forgiving as Amelia. Both my dad and Seamus are dead, and I’ll never be able to try and make amends with either of them. I regret that. That’s why I was crying,” she explained.

“Come here,” John said. Ava turned and moved into his open arms. She took several deep breaths as his arms wrapped around her.

“I’m not good at forgiving people either. I’m loyal to those I care about unless they give me a good reason otherwise. But some people don’t deserve second chances,” John continued after they had held each other in silence for several long moments.

“Do you mean Anna? Would you kill her if you ever met again?” Ava wanted to know. John stilled.

“I’ve learned that revenge can rob you of enjoying life. I want to focus on the present, even though I can’t fully let go of my past,” he reflected.

“Perhaps that’s all any of us can do, is go on living. I’m glad you’re here with me, John,” Ava replied as she raised her head from his chest and looked him in the eyes.

“So am I. You once told me that you don’t intend to leave me anytime soon. Neither do I, Ava,” he declared.

“Glad to hear that,” Ava concluded. What her boyfriend had just said was the best Christmas gift she could ever ask for, she thought. Her life was so much better with John in it, Ava decided as their lips met in a gentle kiss.


End file.
